The Tragic Exchange
Devotions with Pastor Jason Lim

Some years ago, a Canadian man made headlines when he exchanged a red paper clip for an entire house. In a series of 14 cleverly made barters and trades, Kyle MacDonald traded a humble paper clip into a home. While most of us work a good portion of our lives to pay off our home loans, Kyle’s brilliant exchanges in the business realm, earned him a home in less than a year. Tragically, when it comes to the spiritual realm, people make terrible exchanges.

The message of the Bible is ‘Give glory to God”, for everything is created by God and for God. But in idolatry, Apostle Paul says that man has, “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Rom. 1:23). When sinful man chooses to deny God and the glory He is due, man plunges into darkness. It becomes impossible to discern truth and see the light. But the spiritually blind don’t realize it. They profess wisdom but they have become the fool. And because man is made to worship, he begins to “invent” false gods in this darkness. This idolatry only leads to futility and confusion. 

In spiritual darkness, some will, therefore, worship fellow men (athletes, musicians, self-made billionaires or media personalities). Some will worship statues made of iron or wood. And some will worship money and material possessions. In his darkness, man tragically exchanges the glorious God for corruptible things. 

We need to pray for those who are in spiritual blindness today, that the light of the glorious gospel may shine in their hearts, that they may truly behold the light of the knowledge of Jesus, turn from false idols, and come to worship God through Jesus Christ His Son!