On this day in 1993, the Late Show with David Letterman debuted on CBS.

For more than twenty-three years David Letterman has hosted his late night television talk show, first on NBC (1982 to 1993) and then on CBS. Known for his off-the-wall humor, a regular feature has been “stupid human tricks.” That’s where individuals will display their unique talents or abilities. The tricks aren’t really stupid—they’re just strange and different, like the rest of the show.

The fact is, all of us humans do “stupid tricks” every day. We take actions and make choices that take us in the wrong direction. Sometimes when we make bad choices our actions hurt ourselves and others. We may give in to temptation, waste time and money, or disobey our parents . . . not too smart.

The worst trick, however, is to put anyone or anything in God’s place in our lives. The Bible calls this idolatry. An idol can be almost anything, even things that aren’t usually seen as bad. If it becomes more important to us than God, taking his place, then it’s an idol. An idol can be a hobby or sport, a talent or interest, a person or relationship, a possession or money.

So think about it—do you have any idols? Keep God first in your life. Don’t pull a “stupid human trick.”

The wisest of people who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood! (Jeremiah 10:8).

To Do

Take a sheet of scratch paper and list everything in your life that has the possibility of becoming an idol. Then pray about each item on the list, giving it to God.

Also on this day . . .

1682—William Penn sailed from England and later established the colony of Pennsylvania in America.

1965—Thurgood Marshall was confirmed by the Senate as a Supreme Court justice. Marshall was the first black justice to sit on the Supreme Court.

1984—The space shuttle Discovery lifted off for the first time.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005).