October 30, 2008 - Acts 7:40

“’They told Aaron, “Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt – we don’t know what has happened to him!”’” Acts 7:40.
Moses had been up on Mt. Sinai with God for over 3 weeks, on his way to 40 days, when influential people within the Hebrew people approached Aaron with another idea. They knew that Moses had been communicating with God, and they had seen God do some amazing miracles. Yet, because they were not sure what had happened to Moses, they thought that it might be a good idea to show some “spirituality” and make their own gods, possibly returning to some old gods. After all, Moses was not a young man, and here he was climbing up into that craggy, storm-laden mountain by himself. They were anxious about going any further without some “godly” direction, so they instructed Aaron to make some gods for them.
At first, I didn’t see how I related to this verse, but after some thought, I see things a bit differently. When it seems that I haven’t “heard” anything new or fresh from God, I am tempted to manufacture ideas. I start feeling the necessity to come up with something. After all, the people around me want to know that I am hearing from God. We all want “gods who will go before us.” And the truth of the matter is, our God is a God who goes before us. Yet He goes at His own bidding and in His own perfect timing; not because it meets our whims or peculiar needs. He bids for me to “come and follow” and this may involve waiting for long periods of time, as well as moving out as He shows the way.
Questions to consider: How do I respond/react when I sense that God is not around or directing me? How long does it take me to return to following my old “gods” – such as myself, sports, or whatever that may be? What do those “gods” look like? What do I need to do to stay focused on the one true God?
Prayer: Father, give me eyes to see You and patience to follow You whether or not I see You or sense Your presence. Amen.