Who Shaped Who?

The woodworker draws up plans for his no-god, traces it on a block of wood. He shapes it with chisels and planes into human shape—a beautiful woman, a handsome man, ready to be placed in a chapel. He first cuts down a cedar, or maybe picks out a pine or oak, and lets it grow strong in the forest, nourished by the rain. Then it can serve a double purpose: Part he uses as firewood for keeping warm and baking bread; from the other part he makes a god that he worships—carves it into a god shape and prays before it. With half he makes a fire to warm himself and barbecue his supper. He eats his fill and sits back satisfied with his stomach full and his feet warmed by the fire: "Ah, this is the life." And he still has half left for a god, made to his personal design—a handy, convenient no-god to worship whenever so inclined. Whenever the need strikes him he prays to it, "Save me. You're my god."

Pretty stupid, wouldn't you say? Don't they have eyes in their heads? Are their brains working at all? Doesn't it occur to them to say, "Half of this tree I used for firewood: I baked bread, roasted meat, and enjoyed a good meal. And now I've used the rest to make an abominable no-god. Here I am praying to a stick of wood!" Isaiah 44:13-19

Some of you may think this is ridiculous in this day and age as much as I did, but this is a visible example of what we all do. We may not make idols to worship, but we do try to create God in our own design.

There are those who want to believe that God will make them rich, He could not be a God of love and send people to hell, He is not concerned with our behavior, God encourages adultery, and God isn’t concerned with drunkenness and brawling or many other areas that we have shaped God in our own image. I know you’ve heard the humanistic rhetoric that god is however you see him or what you believe he is. Many look for churches that don’t frown on some of their sinful behaviors. Of course none of these beliefs are based on scripture.

“Remember these things, O Jacob.
Take it seriously, Israel, that you're my servant.
I made you, shaped you: You're my servant.
O Israel, I'll never forget you.
I've wiped the slate of all your wrongdoings.
There's nothing left of your sins.
Come back to me, come back.
I've redeemed you." Isaiah 44:21-22

Many of us are guilty of trying to create God in a manner that makes us feel better. When we know the real truth of God, we don’t need anything else to make us feel better. When we see Him as He really is we can’t help but feel better.