Idols are whatever objects or ideas we put before God. They are mini gods that we give worship to. We live our lives for them. They tend to be things like success, wealth, status, and love. We make our work, families, retirement, or a person the object of our affection. We convince ourselves that if we just had this type of family, or title, or bank account, our lives would be complete. But these things hold no true substance. They are dry wells in the desert. An old church father described it as starving men licking a picture of bread hoping it would satisfy his hunger.

Isaiah makes it clear that when Jesus returns everything that had been exalted will be brought low. There is nothing in all creation that will be able to stand before Jesus. Every human achievement will come to a crashing end at the overwhelming glory that is God. 

Losing our idols is hard. It stings at first. It feels like we’ve lost the meaning we were after. But losing the idol is much better than obtaining it. It’s better than getting to the bottom of the well only to realize there was no water. God will destroy all of the false ideas we had about what gave us purpose and joy and he will replace it with himself. He will be a well that never runs dry. He will replace the mirage with the real, and we will eat and be satisfied. What are your idols? Give them to him.