THE GODS WHO CANNOT CARRY US

Isa 45:20  "Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.

Isa 45:21  Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.

Isa 45:22  "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

"As the LORD declares His own greatness, faithfulness, and saving power, it naturally contrasts with the foolish idols of the nation - which must be carried, instead of being able to carry the one who worships them!" - David Guzik

There is one God Who is true, Who can save, Who can carry, and Who will complete His whole purpose in the earth.  There is one way only, in this life, to know Him, to be accepted by Him, and to dwell with Him for eternity.  You cannot use His name, yet create for yourself another god.  You cannot claim to follow Him, yet build your own religion in His name. You cannot tag on His name to things that oppose Him or are contrary to His nature and make them "Christian," such as "Christian psychology" or "Christian yoga."  You cannot make your path to Him just as you please it to be. 

Many who call themselves Christians have made for themselves "gods that they can carry," which are idols in their mind and hearts of the things in this world they truly "worship" or bow down to. Webster's 1828 dictionary says of Worship - 3. To honor with extravagant love and extreme submission; as a lover. That is anything that is contrary to the God of the Bible that they depend on, trust in, embrace, and adore or submit to, other than Him, taking the place of Him.  They tell themselves they are truly worshipping God, because they find a way to add this to their "Christianity."  But can their gods carry them?  When the day of evil comes, the day of testing, the day they are faced with making a black and white decision of losing their standing with the world, their pleasures, their security, and all they hold to in this world; or in deciding for the God of the Bible, bearing His shame in this world, trusting in Him alone, will their gods carry them?  They will be forced to choose one or the other.

There are many brands of Christianity, but there is only one way to know God.  There are many ways being told to the church today as acceptable.  In fact, some embrace all religions, even those that are not claiming at all to be Christian.  "All paths lead to God" they say.  But Jesus said this to us: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

(Matthew 7:13-14)

Does this mean He has made it hard for us to be Christians?  Are we to struggle and strive to be good enough to find that life?  He has actually made it so easy that it is hard for us to believe!  That narrow way is Jesus Himself, and no one comes to the Father but by Him.  The broad path takes in man's way... his works, or his sacrifice, or his rituals, or whatever he can concoct to make himself somehow attain a level of righteousness or acceptance.  Human pride causes us to think we can save ourselves.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

(John 14:6)

The Jews thought their law was the narrow way... the only way for them to be acceptable.  Yet they could not follow the law.  Christians can also mistakenly think obedience to the law is the narrow way.  They even make up their own laws in their minds at times.  But the narrow way is Jesus.  He is our salvation. He is our righteousness.  He is our truth.  He is our sanctification.  Simply putting our faith, trust, reliance, and hope in Him, Who He is, what He has done, and knowing He will carry us... He will carry out His Word and carry through with His promise of eternal life for all who believe in Him, is the narrow way that God has made.  It is that life that empowers us to walk in righteousness, and be conformed His image.  It is that life in us that keeps us. It is that life in us that carries us through the fiery trials of this life and upholds us.  It is that life that carries us through everything we can think of that would separate us from Him.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 8:35-39)

He is able to carry us.  A false god cannot carry us.  This is why many who think to become Christians but come to a false jesus with a false motivation become disappointed when their jesus fails them and life turns hard, or has great sorrow or loss.  "If God is love how could He do this to me?"  Their god won't carry them through the trials and sorrows of this life, neither will their god carry them into eternity with Him.  It is really a god of self that they desire - a god that will give them all they want in this life. 

How important it is to find the God of the Narrow way - the only way that there is to truly know Him, find His love and His eternal life, and live with Him forever!  He reveals Himself in His Word. Many give forth a word that sounds good - even using some Scripture - yet it is the word of men and not the Word of God.  We must turn to His Word to know Him. If you want to know a person, you go to that person and listen to their word.  You don't go to someone else who talks about them. You have to meet that person himself. You let them speak their heart to you and little by little you learn to know them.  You share yourself with them and you form a relationship.  There is only one way to form a relationship with the God of the Bible.  You must read what He says to you as He has revealed Himself and His plan and His way to you there.  As you do, and His Word is unfolded to you, you learn to have confidence in this true God Who has proved Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ, Who died for you so that you can come freely to Him, and be cleansed of all sin that would separate you from Him, and you receive eternal life now and forever. 

The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

(Revelation 22:17)