Scripture
Zechariah 10:1-2, 6 (ESV)
Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field. For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd....I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.
AI Prompt
An image depicting a variety of ancient Near Eastern idols, including Canaanite ones, lying on cracked, dry ground with a modern dollar bill placed prominently in the center. The scene juxtaposes the ancient and the contemporary, with the dollar bill providing a stark contrast to the weathered, historical idols. The idols, showing signs of age and cultural significance, surround the crisp and detailed dollar bill. The ground remains parched and deeply cracked, symbolizing the passage of time. The lighting is balanced, highlighting the unique features of both the idols and the dollar bill. The color palette combines the earthy tones of the idols and the ground with the green and grey hues of the dollar bill, creating a visually striking and thought-provoking composition.
Devotional Reflection
Here, the Lord cautions his people against putting their trust and confidence in idols. People in this time often kept little household gods around and treated them like good luck charms. Use them rightly, and the rains would fall. The crops would grow. But the Lord reminds his people that these “nonsense talkers” are powerless to speak a word that actually carries any power. They are powerless to speak the word that causes the rains to fall. Only the Lord’s Word has the power to go forth and accomplish that for which it is sent. God’s people are to trust God's Word. They are to look to him and him alone for all good things.
Today, we don’t usually carry around little wooden or stone statues. But that doesn’t mean that our heart isn’t trusting in an idol. Luther once called money the most common idol in the world. We may not bow down and worship it, but thoughts of money certainly preoccupy our thoughts and shape our fears. We are inundated with messages that tell us how to get more so we can spend more. As a result, we foolishly come to believe that our future security and hope rest in the power of our money to “make it rain.”
Don’t listen to the nonsense. Money has no real power to give you the meaning, identity, and security you crave. Only God’s Word has that kind of power. Believe it. Believe God who has said “call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver." Believe God who speaks realities into existence. Believe God who calls the dead to life. Believe God who declares to you that your warfare with him is ended--your iniquity is pardoned. Believe God who in the former days spoke all these things by the prophets, but now in these last days has spoken to us by his very own Son--Jesus Christ. God's definitive Word. God's personal Word. Listen to him. Believe him. And be at peace.