But you who forsake Yahweh and ignore my holy mountain, who celebrate a feast for the goddess called Lady Luck and fill cups of wine to toast the god Destiny, know this: your luck has run out. 12 For I will destine you for the sword! You will all kneel down to be slaughtered like sheep because when I called, you did not answer, and when I spoke, you did not listen! You did evil before me and chose what I despise.” Isaiah 65:11-12

Isaiah addresses the people who will be taken captive to Babylon when Jerusalem is conquered. Many of the people will be taken over 1,000 miles away to the nation of Babylon where they will be reeducated and brainwashed in the Babylonian culture. This means worshiping the Babylonian God’s like Gad and Meni described here.Imagine you have grown up around other farmers in the small community that is left of Jerusalem. Then you are taken to the biggest city in the world. You might be tempted to dive into the more modern culture and leave your culture and faith behind. An old expression during WW1 was, “once they’ve seen Paris you’ll never get them back on the farm”. This was the concern for the people of Israel.

We all face this kind of temptation in our day. It might be gambling or pornography or being consumed with shopping for things to impress others. All of these distractions are the draws of the gods who are drawing us away from God to bow down to them.

God says these things lead to our destruction. Even now, God calls us to Himself. He calls us to be different than the culture of this world and seek Him rather than the latest trending thing and lures us away from Him.

Choose what is eternal over the temporary. Choose a relationship of intimacy with God that will fill your life with joy and peace and meaning.