Day 71 or March 12. Homemade Religion. Our thought today is rooted in Judges 17 verse
5. Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods, and
installed one of his sons as his priest. First the big picture surrounding this verse.
The final chapters of the book of Judges are not specifically about judges at all. It tells
us a lot about a man called Micah who was not a judge, and who lived in the middle of
Israel. As he lived and worshipped in the days when the judges ruled, there was no temple
for national sacrifice and worship. The temple, of course, was built after the period of judges,
when kings ruled the land. And now our action step for today. Micah,
in the book of Judges, would have slotted into twenty-first century life very easily
indeed. He knew what he believed, he built his own religion, and worshipped at home.
I would guess there are millions of Micahs in the world today who stumble through life
with homemade religion. I'm sure you know folk who drift from church to church looking
for one that suits them exactly, and doesn't have any of the hassles we all get if we are
members of an active fellowship. Sometimes when you discuss spirituality with a friend,
the response can be very predictable. Well, this is how I see it.
Based on what? Based on what I think is right. Even professing
unbelievers will say things like, I'm sure he or she will be in heaven looking down on
me today. These may be comforting thoughts, but they are based on wishful thinking alone.
The least puff of wind will knock them over, because they are foundationless. For a belief
system to work, it has to be based on a firm foundation, into which faith can be woven.
Nebulous faith cannot stand alone. Be sure that your faith is based on sure and steadfast
biblical principles, and it will enrich you daily. When trials come, as they inevitably
will, you'll have more than human support. You will have the inspired written Word of
God to rely on.