Where do you look for strength? Do you sometimes think, if I could just have that, then I’d be ok? In Judges 17-18 we see the folly of idolatry. An idol is anything we turn or trust in apart from God. It can be a good thing that then takes God’s place and becomes harmful to us for we are made to worship the one true God and trust Him alone. An idol may give temporary relief, a sense of control, but it cannot ultimately deliver.
Look what happens to Micah, he makes an idol and thinks all will be well because he has an idol. And then things get even better, he gets his own priest from the tribe of Levite. Surely things will go well for him now! He’s trying to manipulate God. His folly is brought to light when some others come and steal his idol and his priest! He is left complaining “you have taken my gods that I made” (18:24) – is there anything more crazy! How can something that you have made be god!
We are given a clue that God does not approve of this with the repeated phrase “in those days, there was no king in Israel.”(17:6, 18:1, 19:1)
Israel need God’s annointed king to lead them, in our Psalm today, we see God’s annointed king rejoicing in the LORD. (Psalm 21) Here is a far better picture. The LORD gives this king victory over his enemies and security for his people. As we saw yesterday (Luke 24:44), the Psalms are about our King – Jesus.
Our reading from Acts shows us our King has been raised to the highest place and is working out his salvation plan. His plan was to send His Spirit to empower the apostles to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). As we read through Acts, we will see this happening, and the mission is still continuing today. God commands people to turn from idols to be rescued by Jesus before it’s too late (Acts 17:29-31). The end of our Psalm also makes this warning that the LORD will consume all his enemies. There is an urgency, to turn from idols to the living God, He is the only one who can deliver.
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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