Do you realize what God has done already?

During a conference call yesterday with some pastors from around the state, a fellow Louisiana pastor said, “In one fail swoop, God has removed the idols of America: sports, entertainment, and money.” While I had thought about this in recent days, hearing another pastor say it brought it home. It also reminded me of another statement, “God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime.”

None of these three things are inherently bad. Sports are excellent for providing exercise and healthy competition. The entertainment industry helps people express their God-given creative abilities. Money provides life necessities, funds ministry, and advances God’s work around the world. Unfortunately, though, sports, entertainment, and money have been elevated to the Trinity of America.

What normally keeps people from worshiping God on Sunday? Yes, a few people are sick or taking care of someone who is sick, but people are usually not at church because they are busy with sports or some other entertainment or they have worked so hard pursuing greater wealth that they are simply worn out by Sunday. In effect, they are busy worshiping America’s Trinity. 

For now, though, these idols are gone. We are experiencing a reset. As with most spiritual cleansing, this reset is not pleasant. However, on the other side of it, I think we will be glad it came. 

I continue praying for spiritual awakening. Removed idols certainly moves us closer to that prayer.

As we prepared for last Sunday, there were jokes floating around about certain songs like “He Touched Me” and “Breathe on Me.” I kept thinking about “Give Us Clean Hands.” I was joking last week, but I’m thinking about the words this week. I learned that song in college, have taught it to every church I’ve served, and it has been a prayer for me for my generation.  Perhaps we will see the prayer answered.  The words of the song pray:

We bow our hearts. We bend our knees.

Oh, Spirit, come make us humble.

We turn our eyes from evil things.

Oh, Lord, we cast down our idols.

Give us clean hands. Give us pure hearts.

Let us not lift our soul to another.

God, let us be a generation that seeks

That seeks your face, oh, God of Jacob.

The lyrics are developed from Psalm 24:3-6:

“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.”

What could our generation look like after this pandemic? We could see the greatest spiritual awakening in the history of the world! We could see the prayer of this song and psalm answered in our generation. That is far more possible with idols removed. May we continue to pray big for God to move! He’s done so much already - and He isn’t through yet!