Wooden Faith

 “One of the neat things about six grade camp besides being away from my parents and family for the first time, was being in nature, and creating different arts and crafts. At the end of a long week; even though it was only seven days, it felt like an eternity for me, a sixth grader, we had to pick a piece of wood. The more rugged, not perfect, the better because it signified our week, and though we had a tough week, we were gonna use it to get it signed as a remembrance of what we learned. When I found the piece of wood that I thought perfect, I cut it, sanded, and shaped it into what I felt was perfect. I kept it for a while and slowly over time the names on it faded; like my memory of all of the kids who I had joyfully gotten signatures from. 

In the Ten Commandments, the first three are about loving God thru full devotion, humility, with all of our souls, but most importantly, by not putting anything else before Him. Not having other gods, making gods, or saying the Lord’s Name in vain. Jesus, when asked by the religious leaders, said this about the greatest commandment in Matthew twenty-two beginning in verse thirty seven, 

“Jesus answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ All the law and the writings of the prophets depend on these two commands.”” (NCV)

Jesus said these were commands, but do you know what the first three commandments are that Moses records in Exodus twenty? Well let’s look, beginning in verse one,

“Then God spoke all these words: “I Am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt where you were slaves. “You MUST NOT HAVE ANY OTHER gods except me. “You MUST NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELVES AN IDOL that looks like anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the water below the land. You MUST NOT WORSHIP OR SERVE ANY IDOL, because I, the Lord your God, Am a jealous God. If you hate Me, I will punish your children, and even your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But I show kindness to thousands who love Me and obey My commands.” (NCV) (Emphasis added)

Is this one of those arguments that people use to say the Bible is contradictory, not accurate, and not real? Yes, but only for those who are critics, part time Christians and worse, those who only study or use the New Testament. Jesus is saying that the two commandments He mentions are what all the writings of the prophets depend on. Let that sink in for a while! God who wrote all of the Bible, and used prophets and apostles to write His words down, is reminding us that having other gods, to bow, that we carve, or worship as an idol, keeps us from loving the Lord God will all of our heart, mind and soul. He is saying that regardless of what “laws” of religion, self, or hate we live by, anything apart from God is an idol. This includes not love God and in turn, not loving our neighbor.

When I found that piece of wood, I didn’t pray to it, bow down before it, or sing songs to it, for it was just that, a piece of wood. Though there were memories and names written on it, at the end of the day it was a piece of wood. Isaiah tells in chapter forty-four beginning in verse six,

“The Lord, the king of Israel, is the Lord All-Powerful, who saves Israel. This is what He says: “I Am the beginning and the end. I Am the only God. Who is a god like me? That god should come and prove it. Let him tell and explain all that has happened since I set up my ancient people. He should also tell what will happen in the future. Don’t be afraid! Don’t worry! I have always told you what will happen. You are my witnesses. There is no other God but Me. I know of no other Rock; I am the only One.”” (NCV)

How cults and people can deny Jesus is Lord, and that the trinity exists is beyond me; especially when you read verses like this that SHOUT JESUS all through them. The beginning and the end, or as John quotes in Revelation talking about Jesus, the Alpha and Omega. The Rock which is referring to Jesus again, the chief cornerstone, the One whom our faith should be built upon. Isaiah continues in verse nine,

“Some people make idols, but they are worth nothing. People treasure them, but they are useless. Those people are witnesses for the statues, but those people cannot see. They know nothing, so they will be ashamed. Who made these gods? Who made these useless idols? (NCV)

Man makes everything in every form of religion to bow down and worship, from birds, animals, angels, sun, moon, stars, or their version of Jesus. And God is saying through Isaiah, that these people are blind and know nothing. Isaiah continues in verse fourteen,

“He cuts down cedars or cypress or oak trees. Those trees grew by their own power in the forest. Or he plants a pine tree, and the rain makes it grow. Then he burns the tree. He uses some of the wood for a fire to keep himself warm. He also starts a fire to bake his bread. But he uses part of the wood to make a god, and then he worships it! He makes the idol and bows down to it! The man burns half of the wood in the fire. He uses the fire to cook his meat, and he eats the meat until he is full. He also burns the wood to keep himself warm. He says, “Good! Now I am warm. I can see because of the fire’s light.” But he makes a statue from the wood that is left and calls it his god. He bows down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “You are my god. Save me!” Those people don’t know what they are doing. They don’t understand! It is as if their eyes are covered so they can’t see. Their minds don’t understand. They have not thought about these things; they don’t understand. They have never thought to themselves, “I burned half of the wood in the fire and used the hot coals to bake my bread. I cooked and ate my meat. And I used the wood that was left to make this hateful thing. I am worshiping a block of wood!” He doesn’t know what he is doing; his confused mind leads him the wrong way. He cannot save himself or say, “This statue I am holding is a false god.”” (NCV)

Growing up Catholic, I have been and seen idols, rosary’s, but I’ve never been comfortable praying to these, let alone bowing down to them. Even before knowing the word, it felt wrong and pointless, and now, even more so to me. I love how God says it, that people cut the wood to keep themselves warm, cook their food, and then make an idol off of the leftovers to worship them. It’s like thanking the wood for the things that God created, blesses with and yet so many blindly do this daily. 

The piece of wood that faded and the names that vanished, and eventually the whole thing being lost, or thrown into the trash, is what we should do with anything that isn’t about loving the Lord our God. There should be no excuse other than we don’t love God above these, and that is the whole point of everything being dependent on these words. If we continue to hold onto these carven images, we too will be lost, thrown into the fire, trash, and worse our names will not be written in the Lambs book of life, where our names won’t fade.

So my question is, what is keeping you from being like Peter and his brother when Jesus called them, and dropping what you’re holding to follow Jesus. You can cry all day long to them, say repetitive prayers, and go through the motions of religion. Why should you choose to be dead like the pieces of wood, when you can be alive, in Christ Jesus. Isaiah finishes in verse twenty-one and two with,

““People of Jacob, remember these things! People of Israel, remember you are My servants. I MADE YOU, and you are My servants. So Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your sins like a big cloud; I have removed your sins like a cloud that disappears into the air. Come back to Me because I saved you.”” (NCV) (Emphasis added)

We all are God’s creation because He formed us in His image, and our worship should be all for Him and His glory. Isaiah Forty-three says,

“Now this is what the Lord says. He created you, people of Jacob; He formed you, people of Israel. He says, “Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine.” (NCV)

Are you Jesus’, are you saved? Not because you said a prayer, not because, you were dunked in water, not because you go to church weekly, but because you have repented, and are taking up your cross daily. Because He has your name written on His Hands that held the nails for our redemption.” Jose Barajas