This morning I was reading Ezekiel when I came across a very interesting set of verses. In the 16th Chapter of Ezekiel God describes how Israel became a nation. Through an allegory of a newborn baby growing into adulthood, God describes how His hand has been upon Israel and its growth. God talks of how He had given Israel "fame" and "beauty". But then He talks of how Israel has now trusted in its fame and beauty instead of God. How Israel has used its fame and beauty to "get ahead" and how its used the things God had given it to satisfy her own desires.
As I read this I had an interesting thought. Israel was not trusting in God, rather it was trusting in the things God had given it. Israel had forgotten that it was God who gave her the fame and beauty to begin with. Its like looking at a beautiful painting and saying the painting is beautiful but giving no credit to the artist ability to paint.
Then I thought of how often in my life I have put trust in the things of God instead of God. How I had put trust in God's people, or church, or books about God, etc. but not in God. And so many times I have put my trust in me or my abilities instead of God forgetting that it was God who made me in the first place and gave me my abilities.
