You Are The Treasure That I Seek

Greg Dutcher has written an excellent book on the topic of idolatry. I definitely needed to hear what he had to say in this book, if you are struggling or if you don't think that you have a problem with idolatry, you definitely need to read this book.

The forward by John Frame gives a clear indication as to where Dutcher will be taking us, "When God tells us not to worship idols, He's not talking only about idols made of stone or wood." Idolatry is so subtle and subversive that it never comes in obvious ways. We have certain ideas and pictures of idols, wooden fertility statues or golden figures that take their places in temples and huts. All the while we have so many varying idols, some of our own making. Be it television or our precious ipods, maybe the newest gadget that we just have to have before our colleagues get their undeserving hands on them. Any way we look at it we constantly try to place things in the place that Jesus deserves to be.

Dutcher does a great job of unpacking the various forms that idolatry takes and also has a series of questions at the end of each chapter that helps tremendously to put the information into practical use.

There are so many great nuggets in this small but meaty book, one of my favorites is from the chapter The Stealthy Hunter, where Dutcher gives a great example from the Israelites in the desert. "Once upon a time the Jews were enslaved to a "god" who gave them something-three hots and a cot-in return for their bondage. The true God, however, crushed the one who had enslaved them and gave the Israelites all they ever really needed-himself." What a great thought, the Israelites much like us looked to their former god or god's to satisfy what only the true and living God could satisfy! We exchange our treasure for trinkets, rusty and filthy trinkets.

This is probably one of the best books about idolatry that I have read, it's a very honest and even humorous look at just how unfaithful we can truly be. Pick up a copy of Greg Dutcher's You Are The Treasure That I Seek 'but there's a lot of cool stuff out there, Lord' I can hear your idols shaking now!