Scarecrows in a Cucumber Field

For a long time, I was shackled to an addiction. In every sense of the definition, my addiction became an idol. I thought about it often. I kept it a secret and it stole my peace and joy. It also offered a level of comfort and satisfaction that I had been fooled into believing I needed. I convinced myself that it wasn’t a big deal, because it specifically had never been preached on, featured in a news story or profiled in a documentary on TLC. Most of you would have told me it was no big deal, because indulging in it didn’t hurt anyone, BUT….It was a big deal, because I recognized the hold it had on me and I chose not to do anything about it. I believed I needed it. I convinced myself that it didn’t really matter to God…. BUT, sin is a big deal to God and when we recognize sin in our lives and don’t turn from it, that separates us from intimacy with Him, and in the words of Nemo, “that is a really big But(t)!”

Our adversary, the devil is brilliant. He is so good at filling our minds with lies. He distracts us from the truth and inoculates us by minimizing the destructiveness of idol worship. Tim Keller defines idolatry as “anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give…”

Idols are addictive and can take almost any form. Idols in any form are as useless as scarecrows in a cucumber field. Jer. 10:5.

Jeremiah 10 is all about idolatry and its destructiveness. If you are struggling with something you are aware is an idol, take 5 minutes to read this chapter and see how destructive idols can be, and recognize that “The God of Israel is no Idol! He is the creator of everything that exists, including Israel (and YOU), his own special possession. The Lord of Heaven’s armies is his name.” Jer 10:16. Your God is a mighty warrior and leads heaven’s armies in this battle. You are His special possession and you are worth fighting for!

I am so very thankful that the Holy Spirit has been relentless in showing me truth. As much as Satan tries to minimize the destructive nature of my behavior, God in his mercy opens my ears to the prodding of his Spirit and my heart when I study His word. He is worthy to be praised and the only one worth worshiping.

So, Why are scarecrows in a cucumber field useless? The reason for having a scarecrow in a garden is to scare off the crows. Crows see the vegetables and swoop down to eat them, but crows cannot see the cucumbers. Cucumbers are one of the few things that I grow, and their leaves are huge. These leaves serve as a canopy that hide all the cucumbers. From the vantage point of a crow, my garden is a bunch of big leaves. Crows aren’t tempted to eat leaves, and so there is no need to scare them off. Any idol in your life is a pretender. It seems important to you, but if you remove it, you will find that God has already provided something much more effective in its place. Take the stupid scarecrow off its throne and worship the Lord of Heaven’s army!