God of all people, bless and protect this dear reader with the knowledge that all people are Yours, especially him/her; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Exodus 32: 1 When the people realized that Moses was taking forever in coming down off the mountain, they rallied around Aaron and said, "Do something. Make gods for us who will lead us. That Moses, the man who got us out of Egypt - who knows what's happened to him?" 2 So Aaron told them, "Take off the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters and bring them to me." 3 They all did it; they removed the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from their hands and cast it in the form of a calf, shaping it with an engraving tool. The people responded with enthusiasm: "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from Egypt!" 5 Aaron, taking in the situation, built an altar before the calf. Aaron then announced, "Tomorrow is a feast day to God!" 6 Early the next morning, the people got up and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings and brought Peace-Offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink and then began to party. It turned into a wild party! 7 God spoke to Moses, "Go! Get down there! Your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have fallen to pieces. 8 In no time at all they've turned away from the way I commanded them: They made a molten calf and worshiped it. They've sacrificed to it and said, 'These are the gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt!'" 9 God said to Moses, "I look at this people - oh! what a stubborn, hard-headed people! 10 Let me alone now, give my anger free reign to burst into flames and incinerate them. But I'll make a great nation out of you." 11 Moses tried to calm his God down. He said, "Why, God, would you lose your temper with your people? Why, you brought them out of Egypt in a tremendous demonstration of power and strength. 12 Why let the Egyptians say, 'He had it in for them - he brought them out so he could kill them in the mountains, wipe them right off the face of the Earth.' Stop your anger. Think twice about bringing evil against your people! 13 Think of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you gave your word, telling them 'I will give you many children, as many as the stars in the sky, and I'll give this land to your children as their land forever.'" 14 And God did think twice. He decided not to do the evil he had threatened against his people. (The Message)
It is amazing what we will do when we are impatient; especially with God. Think about the things you and I have said or done thinking God was not involved or active in our lives. Remember the decisions you've made simply because you thought God was taking too long in answering your prayers? It was impatience that drove the people of Israel to tell Aaron to do something since they thought Moses was probably dead. Their impatience drove them to madness. They could not reason well. If they had thought about it, it would have not made sense. After 400 years of crying for freedom, God granted it to them. After facing certain death at several points in this journey, especially at the beginning at the shore of the Red Sea, God had acted and saved them. And here simply because the old man had taken too long up in the mountain, the people believed God had forsaken them. How easy it was for them to say, "Make us new gods." How easy it is for us to assume new gods just because we think God is taking too long.
What can serve as a "god" in our lives? Anything that takes the place of God. Washing the car instead of worship. A television program instead of a devotional time with God. The list can get quite long. As should our patience with God. God never gives up on us and though answers to prayers may not come immediately, we still have no reason to abandon God.
PRAYER: Loving God, may my patience be a blessing. May I never forget that You are at work in my life. May I never turn away from You in search of another god. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
