My family and I recently returned from a ski trip to Big Sky, and even with our one, big, annual, family trip being interrupted by a stomach virus, we actually came back more rested than we expected. We love everything about that part of the country and spend so much time in awe of the beauty God created there. It sparks question after question from our kids, such as “Can God really move that mountain? Could He move it with just His finger?” You name it, they ask it, because they are just as captivated by the greatness as we are.
With the ice-covered mountain ranges, the great plains and the diverse and incredible wildlife, Montana is truly one of the most beautiful places on Earth. But God revealed something to us through this dreaded sickness. As we were trapped indoors unable to enjoy the beauty we traveled so far to see, we realized the subtlety of satan’s work. We had somehow and at some point, made God’s beauty our god. One of satan’s greatest tools is to take good things and twist them until we allow them to become idols. They can be positive things at their core – sports, hobbies, creation, our marriages, ministries – but as we begin to pursue them, over time, we can elevate those things into a place of superiority that rules our minds, our emotions, our desires.
God has a way of reminding us that He is Lord of all, and nothing takes His place. As we pursue Him and His desires in our lives, may we remember to not worship things created by God, but rather God Himself.
