July 3, 2026 Devo

There was a bizarre story in the news a couple of years ago. It seems there was a couple in Arkansas who were trying to trade their two-month-old child for a six-pack of beer. The receiving couple, who were concerned about the welfare of the child, agreed. The first couple then returned later and asked for a $1000 cashier’s check as well. They even wrote up a handwritten contract, which they signed. The receiving couple videoed the transaction and then promptly called the police. The first couple was arrested, and the child was placed in protective services.
Hard to believe, isn’t it? That people could trade something so precious as a baby that easily. But God points out in our passage today that we do that as well. Israel lost sight of their identity. They became so integrated in the culture of the land that they began to practice the religions of the people there. They traded their sacred relationship with God for worthless idols. And it broke God’s heart.
When I read the passage today, I realized that we do that along the way as well. How many of us have wanted so badly to be accepted by a particular group of people that we let THEM determine our worth instead of God? We even find ourselves saying things, doing things, and acting in ways that we know are not who God wants us to be. But we trade our God-given identity and favor with God for something as shallow and fleeting as the approval of people.
Or sometimes our “idol” is our desire to get ahead or to make more money. So, we cut corners we shouldn’t cut. We lie on our taxes or lie on our resumes. We take advantage of people and justify it by saying that if they’re that stupid, they NEED to be taken advantage of. I’ve seen families fighting over inheritance money from a deceased parent or grandparent and acting in ways that are anything but Christian. Money is an idol that can steal your soul. That’s why Jesus said, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”
What’s your “idol”? What is it you tend to trade your identity in Christ for or compromise your integrity for? What is it that you find yourself justifying in your mind but feel convicted about in your heart? Don’t trade eternal reward for temporary pleasures. Don’t trade your soul for something that will never satisfy your deepest desires. And don’t trade your love for God for a love of stuff. A baby is worth more than all the beer in the world. And God is worth more than anything this world has to offer. No more idols. That’s God’s Word for you today.