JUNE 10
Psalm 115:9, “O Israel trust in the Lord!”
Psalm 115:10, “O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!”
Psalm 115:11, “You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!”
Psalm 115 exhorts everyone to place their trust not in themselves or in lifeless idols, but in the living and powerful God. It begins with the humble confession, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” (Psalm 115:1)
The psalmist dramatically exposes the futility of trust in idols, saying: “They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk… and those who make them become like them.” (Psalm 115:5–8)
These verses highlight how absurd it is to trust in anything made by human hands—things that can never act, speak, or save. And Scripture gives us a vivid and even humorous picture of this truth in 1 Kings 18, when Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal.
In a dramatic showdown on Mount Carmel, Elijah invites the prophets of Baal to call on their god to send fire from heaven. They cry out from morning until noon, dancing and shouting. But there is no response. Then Elijah mocks them: “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” (1 Kings 18:27)
It’s both insightful and humorous—Elijah reveals their god to be as powerless and absent as the idols described in Psalm 115. In stark contrast, Elijah prays a simple prayer to the Lord, and God answers with fire from heaven, proving beyond question that He is the true and living God.
Psalm 115 reminds us that our hope must not rest in what we create—whether idols of wood and stone, or any of the more sophisticated modern-day idols that work to take the place of God in our hearts. Our trust belongs to the God who sees, hears, speaks, and saves. He alone is worthy of glory, and He alone is powerful to save (Psalm 115:9–11).
“A god who cannot speak, act, or save is no god at all.” — R.C. Sproul
Application Questions: Are there “modern idols” in your life—things you rely on for security, identity, or hope—that cannot truly speak, help, or save? What would it look like to turn from those and trust God more fully?
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