READ: 2 CHRONICLES 34:29-33; ACTS 19:18-20; ROMANS 12:1-2; HEBREWS 12:1-3

“King Josiah!” Shaphan called out as he burst into the palace. “We found this book in the temple.” The king said, “Read it to me.” When the scribe did, Josiah tore his robes and wept.

Shaphan read the Book of the Law, the story of God’s love for His people and the rules He gave to sustain His covenant with them. Josiah recognized that Jerusalem was full of sin—the breaking of God’s good rules. There were idols at every corner. So Josiah destroyed them. The next era of Jerusalem was filled with fire—but instead of burning incense to false gods, the city had a thick cloud of smoke over it from burning the shrines, altars, and temples of the idols.

It’s easy to think we don’t have idols like they did. But consider this: when tragedy strikes, do you post about it, or pray about it? When you’re overwhelmed, do you start scrolling, or open your Bible? Often, we go to created things before we go to the Creator (Romans 1:25).

Humans have a desire to worship. But we tend to forget who made us with that desire, and we try to fulfill it by worshiping unworthy idols of many different forms. But only God is worthy of being at the center of our lives, and anything or anyone else we put there is an idol. For example, social media, scrolling, and gaming can be idols if they occupy God’s rightful spot.

So what can we do? We can look to Jesus, the only one who could fulfill the law and forgive our sin—including the sin of idolatry (Matthew 5:17; Romans 10:4). Once we know Jesus, we have the power of His Holy Spirit in us, so we can burn those idols like Josiah did long ago. (Note: please don’t literally burn your phone—the fumes are toxic.) “Burning” could look like setting restrictions on our technology usage and asking others to keep us accountable.

Once we’ve removed an idol, our hearts need to be built up to become an altar to the true God. Like Josiah called Jerusalem together to read God’s laws and recommit themselves to the Lord, we can read God’s Word and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us refocus on Jesus. Because when we look at what He did for us on the cross, every idol pales in comparison. • L. M.

• Consider taking a moment to ask God what created things have become idols in your life. What could you do to “burn” them? Who is a trusted Christian you could talk to about this?

• When you’re tempted to go back to old idols, how could you take time to pause and draw near to Jesus, relying on Him to provide your sense of worth, security, and satisfaction?

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 (WEB)