“He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.

It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.

Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill.

He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”

From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships.

He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To his credit, this man seeks an experience with God but fails to identify with Him apart from the experience which God provided for his care and comfort.

God is spirit, not the sum of our experiences.

He is impossible to create from our physical world despite our longing for a physical representation of Him.

Whether it’s a pendant on a chain around our neck or a statue in the yard, God’s power doesn’t emanate from things of his creation.

His spirit and power is held intangibly only within our hearts and minds.

A piece of wood.
A pendant.
A statue.
All are idols when we seek to imbue them with a spirit or power beyond that for which they were created.

All praise be to the spirit of God who is above all things.

On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.
There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The extended daylight allowed the Israelites a decisive victory over the Amorites and underscored Joshua’s unique relationship with God as an undefeatable ally of Israel.

Not every winning strategy is initiated by God. He allows and welcomes the initiative and wisdom of his people to carry out his will.

All too often we put off decisions in wait to hear from God when he clearly has already equipped us to think and decide prayerfully for ourselves.

Hasty decisions are often those stuck in and overwhelmed with emotions. But if you can reason to a good decision or conclusion, you should. There’s little sense to be made for further delay.

And leave some wiggle room for an unexpected miracle or two provided by God as a reward for your wisdom, boldness and confidence.