Tell them this: “These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” (Jer. 10:11)
THE QUESTION WAS A COMMON conversation starter back in the 1970s. If a guy wanted to get to know a girl better, he might have asked her what her sign was. Astrology and the signs of the zodiac were all the rage. At least that’s what we saw on television. While the media may have made the whole thing a pop-culture characterization, I distinctly remember writing my sixth-grade research paper on that very topic.
People have planned their activities around horoscopes, asked important questions of Magic 8 Balls, prayed to mere objects, trusted in mystics, and selected mates based on the signs of the zodiac. And each of those misguided activities is exactly the kind of thing Jeremiah warned against when he addressed the people of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah urged God’s people to turn from sinful ways and listen to the words of the Lord. When the people sought to make sense of the future by looking to the skies, he advised them to look only to God. Jeremiah reminded them of God’s great power, wisdom, and understanding.
Whatever the fad or fashion may be, there are no philosophies or fake gods that can be trusted as we go through life. In any time period, we are to trust completely in the author of the past, present, and future. We are to rely fully on the one true God.
Today, run all decisions by your heavenly Father, and let nothing worldly be of influence.
Hally Franz is a former high school guidance counselor turned stay-at-home mom. She is also a cheer booster, 4-H leader, church secretary, reader, and traveler.
