On my heart the past few days are some truths shared by Dr. Sarita Lyons Saturday at the Desperate for Jesus conference. Specifically, Deuteronomy 12:1-5 and the concepts Dr. Lyons shared: “demolition day” and a box deep in the basement of our souls labeled “just in case.”

You see, in Deuteronomy 12, God’s people are finally entering the Promised Land after their many years of wandering. Before they get in though, God gives them a specific command: Do not worship the idols and false gods the people of this land have worshiped and do not worship Me the way the people of this land have worshiped their false gods. To make sure you don’t fall to temptation or sin, tear down every idol, every altar, every high place they have built for their gods – leave none standing.

It was demolition day for the Israelites. They were taking the territory God gave their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and God wanted to make sure their new home was perfect, with none of the old rot, faulty wiring, or outdated plumbing left behind.

And sweet friends, when God takes up residence in our hearts, He desires us to do the same thing. Now, you may not have a Buddha in your garden or an evil eye hanging near the door. We don’t tend to have those kind of idols anymore. But truly an idol is anything we place higher than God, think about more than God, spend more time or money on than God. An idol could be your job, your education, your boat, your social media accounts, your children, or your spouse – yes, even good things can be elevated where they should not. Anything that pulls your attention from God is an idol.

And dear heart, God won’t share your life with idols. Our God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). He alone is righteous and worthy of our praise, our love, our time, our obedience and so much more (Psalm 86:10). When we accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, God begins the work of demolition day in our lives. One by one, He reveals the things of this world that we have worshiped over Him, and He convicts us to tear them down.

And many of them we do tear down. We see their negative impact and agree with God, and like a sledgehammer wielding home improvement show host, we knock those idols and the altars we worship them at down and carry them off to the dumpster.

But oh friends, as we clean up our lives and our hearts and minds for His namesake, what about that box deep in the basement of our souls labeled “just in case”? The box we hope God won’t look in as He oversees the cleaning. You know the one I’m talking about.

Maybe it has a little money you’re setting back just in case God doesn’t provide for you or your family.

Maybe it holds an unChristlike contact who compromises your walk, but you still network with just in case God doesn’t give you that promotion or land that contract for you.

Maybe it contains a list of curse words and sharp comebacks just in case you are attacked and God doesn’t defend you.

Maybe it’s a seemingly harmless escape from reality like TV, books, or video games. Maybe it’s a more recognizably harmful escape like drugs, alcohol, or pornography.

The box is unique to each of us and could hold anything and everything, whatever it is that we’re holding onto “just in case” God doesn’t meet our wants or our needs in our timing or our preferred way.

Ouch.

Am I right?

What about that box on demolition day? Will you bring it readily to God and ask Him to toss out everything that displeases Him?

And for a cool title, demolition “day” works really well, but in reality as the Israelites entered the Promised Land they couldn’t tear down every idol and altar all on one day. The land was too vast and the idols and altars were too many. Instead, they destroyed them as they moved forward, one by one with each step further into the land God had prepared for them.

Beloved, God has a land prepared for you too. A rich land filled with blessing and joy and closeness with Almighty God, your good, good Father. A fertile land He wants you to plant and water and fill with a harvest that gives Him honor and glory. But that good land has seen some hard times, had some bad things done in it. Step by step as God draws you closer, you’ll find idols and altars from your old way of living, your old way of thinking. You’ll find altars the world wants you to worship at, tries to distract you with.

When you find them, will you tear them down to take hold of the goodness God has prepared for you?

Or will you set some aside, leave them standing deep in the dark places, “just in case” that new land God is leading you to isn’t what you want?

This is the meditation of my heart this morning. What idols or altars have I allowed to stay standing? What am I hiding in the “just in case” box? What is too big for me to destroy and requires calling on God’s Almighty hammer and pry bar?

Our God is a jealous God. He’ll not let us rest until every idol, every altar, every “just in case” is cleared from our lives and from our hearts and our minds. Thank You, God for 4 am wake up calls. Thank You for Dr. Lyons and her faithful wielding of Your Word and accurate handling of Your truth spoken in love. Thank You for being the master renovator, for preparing Your children life for the good land You are bringing us to.