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We were created to worship.

The question isn’t whether we worship—it’s what or whom we worship.

When people reject the one true God, they don’t stop worshiping. Instead, they create substitutes. Those substitutes may look religious, political, philosophical, or even deeply personal. They promise freedom, fulfillment, or purpose, but they ultimately lead us farther from the God who made us.

Today’s Old Testament reading gives us one of Scripture’s darkest examples. King Ahaz became so devoted to false worship that he sacrificed his own children. And even after God allowed severe consequences, he refused to repent. Instead, he doubled down on the very false religion that was destroying him.

As shocking as that sounds, false worship didn’t end in the Old Testament. It simply wears different clothes today.

So how do we recognize the modern idols competing for our hearts? And how can we be sure we’re worshiping the true God rather than a more comfortable substitute we’ve created for ourselves?

Let’s look at today’s readings.