Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did. 2 Kings 17:41

For reasons that seem fairly obvious, the first part of verse 41 troubles me. It sounds like one of those oxymorons, where one side of the equation negates the other (jumbo shrimp is a clear example). So, these people were God-worshipping, idol-serving people. How could they possibly worship God and serve idols at the same time? Before we start point fingers at what appears to be hypocrisy, we probably should step back and take a look into our own lives.

Most reading this I can safely say worship God sometime throughout the week, probably on Sunday. But do we serve idols? Let me ask this, are you a slave to anything, anything at all? Money (greed), sports, habits, adulterous relationship, alcohol, drugs, lustful thinking, food, things, and television. There are others and if we think long enough we can see them. Here’s the question in a nutshell: what do you think about the most six days of the week? What inhabits or dominates your thoughts? I’m not suggesting that all or even most of us worship contemporary idols. I just want us to quietly evaluate our lives to make sure we are serving God alone. The idols, I’m afraid, creep up on us faster than we know.

The Lord God Almighty alone deserves our worship and service.