God. . .or not?

"There the Danites set up for themselves the idol,

and Jonathan son of Gershom,

the son of Moses,

and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan

until the time of the captivity of the land.

They continued to use the idol Micah had made,

all the time the house of God was in Shiloh."

Judges 18:30-31

It seemed like a good idea at the time.  After all, I didn't know any better.  My husband and I put together the pieces in the way we thought the bookshelf should go.  Without the instructions, we relied on our own experience of assembling kits, our background in using bookshelves and our opinion of how the finished product should look.  After we completed the product we discovered several "extra" pieces.  Obviously, our idea of how the shelves should be put together was different than what the creator of the furniture had intended.

This is similar to what happened to the tribe of Dan.  Without a godly leader to teach them the ways of God, they relied on what seemed right to them.  They ended up, then, with something that was different from what God intended.  They had a form of godliness but it wasn't of God (2 Timothy 3:5). It looked like a legitimate religion and made them feel good, but they failed to seek God Himself, nor did they desire to know Him personally.

Not surprisingly, I often make this same mistake.

My Wisdom

I used my own rationale, reasoning to myself that if I followed the game trail I would be able to more easily negotiate the wooded terrain.  What I didn't take into account, however, was the direction of travel.  Deer don't mind if they wander through a neighbor's pasture or trespass onto land that belongs to someone else.  Their only focus is to get from point A to point B.  I, however, had a different goal; to explore the 10 acres of wooded land my family was considering purchasing.  As a result, I got lost.

While it made sense to my way of thinking to follow this meandering path as a way to find my way through the dense forest, it didn't turn out very well in the end.  I suddenly found myself in a cow pasture I didn't even know existed and I had to trek through a herd of cattle before making my way to the road and circle back around to where I started.  Doing things my way was unsuccessful.

This is similar to what happens when I rely on my own insight, using my past experiences, background and reasoning to determine what I should do.  The path I choose takes me far away from God.  Consequently, if I want to do things God's way, I had better let Him lead.  

This means placing my confidence in the Lord's wisdom, believing that He has a way through my present circumstances that I know nothing about.  When I turn to Him, placing all my trust in His way, He will show me what I need to know when I need to know it (Proverbs 3:5-6).

It reminds me of the markers that indicate the borders of our property.  In order to find the boundaries, I would only need to locate those markers buried a few inches under the ground.  Without them, I don't know where my yard stops and my neighbor's begins.  All that it takes for me to discover the property line is to locate those markers that have already been positioned.

Similarly, God has laid out a race for me to run, a way for me to go, a path for me to take (Hebrews 12:1).  There is no need for me to figure out by myself what I should do with my life.  Instead, I need only seek out the Lord and, according to His timetable, He will unveil the markers that make His way clear (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

I follow my own form of religion when I rely on my own understanding instead of seeking God's plan.

My Power

In my own strength I could only get the seat out to the van from where it was temporarily stored in our garage.  Without my husband's help, though, I couldn't lift it into the vehicle and maneuver it back into place.  I possessed the will to do so and I could see how the latches on the bottom of the seat were designed to clamp into the anchors mounted on the floor of the van.  Without an outside source of power, however, I didn't have the strength to accomplish the task.

This is similar to my walk with the Lord.  I may think I know what needs to be done, or I have an idea of how things should go according to what I can handle, but I limit myself to what I can naturally do.  For instance, I may reject the idea that I could speak to a group of people because I get too nervous.  Instead of relying on the God who made my mouth and can enable me to deliver His message, I only go by what I think I am capable of doing.  In this way I limit God by my own weaknesses (Exodus 4:10-11).

Other times, I think that this is not the time to start the ministry God has placed on my heart.  After all, I reason, my life is too busy right now; I don't want to spread myself too thin.  Unfortunately, what I am failing to realize is that if God gave me a job to do, it is His strength that will accomplish the work, not my own.  Therefore, it doesn't matter if I'm poured out until I'm empty because God's power never runs out (Isaiah 40:28-29).

Then there are the times when I limit God to what I think I'm able to do.  Instead, God has amazing things to show me where He will prove that His arm is not too short (Numbers 11:23).

I follow my own form of religion when I limit God to what I can do instead of remembering that His power within me is able to accomplish far more (Ephesians 3:20).

My Love

Despite my efforts, the duck pond I excavated as a child drained quickly.  No matter how much water I added to the hole, it promptly drained out, leaving my ducks nowhere to swim.  This reminds me of my own ability to love; it is shallow and easily exhausted.  God's love, on the other hand, never runs out (1 Corinthians 13:7, 13, Psalm 136).

If I attempt only the acts of kindness that are within my own shallow ability to love, then, I am refusing to give God free reign to love.  Instead of letting His perfect love flow through me uninhibited, I kink the hose, cutting off the stream.  I manufacture a counterfeit religion based on my own ideas of love.

This happens when I put pressure on myself to respond to the cranky clerk with a soft answer, knowing it will turn away wrath (Proverbs 15:1). If she keeps pushing my buttons, however, my own well of love will soon grow dry and I'll snap, giving her a piece of my mind.  Instead, a genuine ability to love will only come forth when I surrender my desire to be treated with respect and let God show me the hurt that lies beneath her harsh words.  Then, as I take on the Lord Jesus Christ, He will respond through me with a level of compassion and understanding she has never before experienced (Romans 13:14).

Sometimes I attempt to love those who have been forgotten.  As I distribute the meals to the homeless, I smile warmly, attempting to show them how much I care.  Soon, however, I tire of the exercise and want to get back to my side of town. Instead, if I were to let God have His way, letting go of my own agenda, I'd soon find a genuine desire to personally get to know each person passing through the line, discovering a new-found acceptance of them as His image bearers.

I also make up my own form of religion when I try to reach out to my neighbors by a sense of obligation, knowing I am to be salt and light in a dark world.  Every time I hear the foul language spring forth from their mouths, however, and see the way they neglect their children, my efforts to show kindness draws to a close.  If I were to give up my tendency to point out their flaws, however, and simply let God remind me how much they need Jesus just like I do, I would not be able to fathom the compassion that flows out to them.  

I follow my own form of religion when I attempt to love others in the way I think I should instead of letting God perfectly love them through me (1 John 4:7-8).

While I may think it ridiculous that the tribe of Dan worshiped an image and thought they were doing right, I often set up my own form of religion and think it honors God.  Unfortunately, when I rely on my own wisdom, power and love, my attempts are proved a fraud.  If I want to follow God, I must do it His way.  Otherwise, I will find myself following a god that is not at all the One I seek.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stay true to what God teaches in His Word.

When do I rely on my own understanding to try to negotiate the potholes of life instead of depending on God?

How am I making up things as I go instead of following the path God has marked out for me?


Originally published on April 2, 2014

God's Domain

"This is what the LORD says:

'Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool.

Could you build me a temple as good as that?

Could you build me such a resting place?

My hands have made both heaven and earth;

they and everything in them are mine.

I, the LORD, have spoken!

I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,

who tremble at my word.'"

Isaiah 66:1-2 NLT

It's all His.  Do I realize this, or do I try to maintain some semblance of control? Placing God in a neat little temple of sorts, a box that I've created based on my own understanding of Him that diminishes His true nature and amounts to idolatry?  If I see Him operate outside of my own false perception of Him, I dismiss it, explaining it away instead of taking Him as He is in all of His power, glory and dominion. If He comes up against a wall I've created, I fail to let Him in, instead deceiving myself into believing I'm good just as I am, that there's nothing wrong with my faulty ways of coping, my worldly attitudes, or the provisions I've made for sin.  I work so hard to make this form of godliness work, yet all the time denying God's real character and the power found in repentance from my sin and submitting to His indwelling, transforming Spirit (2 Timothy 3:5).  I have created a whole other religion entirely.

It's time to stop.

Humble.  Never admit you're wrong.  Stand you ground no matter what.  No regrets.  It is what it is.  The world teaches me to own my decisions and go forward confidently, even if my actions turn out to be wrong, hurting many in the process.  In the words of John Wayne in the 1949 movie She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, "Never apologize, it's a sign of weakness."

It is in this environment where I learn a new source of strength that comes from humbling myself before the Lord, admitting when I'm wrong and being willing to repent of my damaging habits, behaviors and customs.  Instead of bristling as He probes my heart, revealing the ways I offend Him in my independence that insists on getting its way, my tendency to follow my own agenda, my pride in standing on my own two feet, I can surrender to His efforts to transform me (Psalm 139:23-24, Romans 12:2).  I can answer when He calls, listening to His words and apply them to my own life, heeding His warning that I'm headed in the wrong direction.  Does it come naturally?  No.  Will it result in God's best for me?  Yes.

It's time I stop resisting God's attempt to mold me into the image of His Son and instead become like putty in His hands (Romans 8:29).

Realistic.  The whole concept of celebrities is strange if you think about it.  As a culture, we take a regular person with problems, hangups, flaws and difficulties just like anyone else, and elevate them to a position of honor where they can be adored, admired, and idolized.  We learn all we can about their tastes, habits and routines, and begin to get the feeling that we know them personally.  The details of their lives are displayed at the grocery checkout, across the Internet, and highlighted on the nightly news.  It seems we are connected in some way, that there is a relationship there.  In reality, we don't even know these unfortunate people, only the image that has been displayed for all to see.

Don't I tend to do the same with God?  Instead of getting to know Him as a living, breathing God, I learn second-hand details that may or may not be true.  I buy into widely held beliefs without talking to Him personally to find out if my thinking might be off.  I look at the Lord as a far-away Being who is too highly elevated to be known, so I settle for learning about Him like He's a kind of fairy-tale character.  Instead, He wants to be an intimate part of my life, invited to inspect every dark corner of my heart and to be involved with every decision, heartache and triumph (Revelation 3:20) .  When I get to know Him so personally, I'll find He is different than the image I'd made Him to be.  I must adjust my thinking to line up with this reality instead of expecting Him to conform to mine.  I can't stay as I am and grow closer to Him; I must turn away from all that offends Him and fully buy into His true purposes.  Is He a cuddly, comfortable God?  No.  Will I find peace as I take Him as He is, not as I've made Him to be?  Yes.

It's time I stop making my own image of God that doesn't line up with His true character and instead adopt a realistic impression of His magnificent nature.

Reverent.  It's easy to focus on all the comfortable, cuddly parts of God and ignore what makes me uneasy.  I love to think of His love, grace, mercy, compassion, kindness, patience, and generosity.  It warms my heart to think of how far He has removed my sin from me through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, of my resulting full acceptance by Him, and the power over sin and death that is mine in Christ (Psalm 103:12, John 6:37, 1 Corinthians 15:57).  I don't like to think of God's holy judgement that is coming, how offensive my sins are to Him, to realize my unworthiness compared to His holiness (Hebrews 9:27, Psalm 51:4, Luke 5:8).  Apart from Jesus, I don't have a leg to stand on (Psalm 130:3).  I'm toast.

To truly realize God's holy nature is to tremble at every Word that proceeds from His mouth, to take Him seriously instead of pushing Him aside in favor of other pursuits, to give Him any position other than the highest.  Yet I tend to develop a casual attitude toward Him, getting so comfortable that I easily ignore His promptings to turn from my ways, telling myself that He understands I can't always obey or that He doesn't expect me to be "perfect".  Instead of realizing the gravity of my sin, that it is such a serious offense that He went to such great lengths as to sacrifice His own precious Son to atone for those sins.  My sin is not a minor crime but a major affront to His holiness.  Therefore, I can't make friends with sin, justifying it to ease my conscience.  I must turn away, flinging it off like the dangerous affliction that it is (Hebrews 12:1, Matthew 5:30).  Is it okay for me to get comfortable with my sin?  No.  Will I find freedom when I repent of it and turn to God through faith in Jesus Christ?  Yes (John 8:36).

It's time I stop lowering God to the position of man, believing He sees my sin as not that big of a deal and instead revere Him enough as a Holy God that I listen to Him and do what He says.

I live in my Father's World, yet I often make it out to be mine.  I pride myself in my independence, make God into a cuddly teddy bear that doesn't reflect His true nature, and as a result, fail to respect Him as He deserves to be regarded.  It's time for me to stop the charade and humble myself before Him, take Him as He really is instead of who I've made Him out to be, and develop a healthy respect and fear for His power and authority.  As I do, I'll fully acknowledge I live in His domain.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to find out His true nature.

When do I make up a god that fits my own perception of Him?

How do I offend Him by refusing to let go of the sin that often defines me?

The Delusion of Idols

"The idols of the nations are silver and gold,

made by human hands.

They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see.

They have ears, but cannot hear,

nor is there breath in their mouths.

Those who make them will be like them,

and so will all who trust in them."

Psalm 135:15-18

Relationships.  Success.  Romantic love.  Sex.  Power.  Money.  Financial Security.  Comfort.  Adventure.  Education.  Materialism.  Science.  Food.  Self-fulfillment.  Self.  There are many idols which mankind worships.  It's easy to get my priorities off, to place my trust in something or someone other than God, to give away God's rightful place at the center of my attentions.  

While I'm quick to wander away from my First Love, I am only deluding myself when I do (Revelation 2:4).

Impotent.  Whatever basket in which I place my eggs will one day bust wide open, spilling all my hopes and dreams onto the floor in a sticky mess.  Anything in which I lean on, putting my confidence in, is created.  Everything that has ever been made receives its power from its Creator.  Nothing in all of existence, then, has any power unto itself except for God.  Therefore, I am trusting in an impotent object whenever I have faith in anything or anyone other than the Almighty; a risky proposition, wouldn't you agree?

Yet I often go there, believing scientific findings hold the answers to my deepest questions, or medical research is my hope for healing, or my best shot at a meaningful life will come once I attain that diploma.  We all pin our hopes on something that is unable to deliver, that was never meant to carry us through, that can't do all that we want it to do.  Only God is able to do more than we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  Only God has the power I need.

Anything other than God will let me down because it is impotent to generate the change I need, the love I crave, the security I seek.

Useless.  A carved image made by man's hands sits on the altar.  It may have eyes, but they're only for looks.  It might have a mouth, but no words every emerge from it.  I can see ears formed on the side of its head, but it never gives any indication that it hears me.  I can pour my heart out, crying tears of desperation before it, but it will never respond.  I'm better off confiding in my dog; at least he will act like he cares.

While I have never placed my hope in an idol made of wood or stone, I have trusted in things that will never be able to help me.  I hear the common sense that comes from television personalities and I try to imagine in vain how they might respond if I were able to seek their advice (1 Corinthians 3:19).  Or I cry my eyes out over a sink of suds, feeling a sense of relief but never finding the peace I need (Philippians 4:6-7).  Or I spend hours researching answers on the Internet, but never seem to find anything that will truly help me (James 1:5).  All on which I pin my hopes is useless.

Looking for help in anything other than God is an exercise in futility because even if it promises the answers I need, its assurances are empty and useless, like the eyes, mouth and ears carved on a wooden idol.

Transformational.  It occurs without fail.  No matter how hard I may try to resist, I am unable to stop it from happening.  Even if I have the best intentions, I'll soon find myself where I never wanted to be.  Idols have a way of sucking me into their world and before I know it, I'll resemble them in some way, kind of like how dogs and their masters end up looking alike.

I become like what I worship.  Whatever I adore or look up to will influence me in ways I don't even realize.  If I want to become more cold-hearted, I need look no further than technology where the latest and greatest is always sought and there is never a thought to the human behind the device.  If it's temporary satisfaction I desire, I can place sex and sensual pleasures on a pedestal, and I'll find myself always wanting more.  If it's emptiness and a feeling of meaningless is what I want, I can place my hopes in modern science where I'm nothing more than an accident, here completely by chance. 

Since I become like whatever I look up to, worshiping anything other than God will lead me to become more and more like the world that is headed toward destruction.

There are a million places where I can place my faith.  When I trust in anything besides God, I will find such an idol to be impotent to help me, useless in every way, and transformational in it's influence.  Therefore, I would be wise to make it my intention to keep God at the center of my vision, pinning all my hopes on Him.  He will never let me down: In Him there are no delusions.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God with all of my heart.

When do I find myself becoming someone I never wanted to be, not realizing that I am simply being influenced by whatever it is I'm revering as the next best thing.

How am I fooling myself into believing I don't have an idol problem?

  

Mixed with the World

"They did no destroy the peoples 

as the LORD had commanded them,

but they mingled with the nations

and adopted their customs."

Psalm 106:34-35

God is not a violent God who is bent on ethnic cleansing, holocaust, or holy war.  It may seem like He is dedicated to the destruction of "infidels," those who don't adhere to His ways.  In reality, He is a Father who is jealous for His children.  He knows the way He made things to work best, and life is better when He is the head, the highest priority, the only God.  This is why He set His people apart in times of old, knowing they would easily become just like everyone else and forget Him.  He wanted His people to remember they were the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3).

Nothing much has changed.  Sure, I don't walk around in sandals and robes, but my heart is no different from the Israelites'.  I am easily swayed, lured away by the fleshly attractions of this world.  But I am called to live in the world but not of it (John 17:16, Romans 12:2).  Still, I am like the world in many ways.  Oh, how this grieves God.  He has set me apart for His purposes, to be salt, to make a difference.  If I lose my saltiness, my unique quality as His own, what influence for Him will I have (Matthew 5:13)?

I must stand firm, then.  Even though it seems impossible, it is not.  I can do it through the strength that comes in my bond with Christ (Philippians 4:13)!

Idol Worship.  Celebrities.  Technology.  Education.  Sex.  Rights and freedoms.  Tolerance.  Political correctness.  There are as many idols in this culture as there are days in a year.  When living in this society, it's easy to start believing the propaganda that is constantly bombarding my senses.  

I walk into the grocery store and the details of the lives of "stars" accost me and I suddenly become drawn into the drama, as if they are somehow different or more important than the ones suffering all around me.  As I shop, I discover flesh leaping out at me from all angles until I am no longer shocked by the cleavage, tiny outfits, and tightly-garbed female forms that are used to sell almost every product.  I notice that many have bought into this way of dressing, exchanging cute and fashionable for sexy and risque.  People are rushing around, hurrying through their lives as they try to fit school into their already busy schedules, thinking that a degree is their great, white hope.  Meanwhile, children are left to raise themselves, their lives devoid of meaningful parental contact.

Jesus died to give me more than this kind of life!  He gave His life so I could live the life I'm meant to, where God is what draws my attention at every moment, where sexuality is meant for a husband and wife, where God is the one who holds the blueprint that gives me hope for my future.  My life works better when I center it around Him and let His truth set me apart from everything else (John 17:17).

To avoid being mixed with the world, I must resist worshiping anything else besides the one true God.

Cheapen Life.  Pornography draws one into addiction, setting up a greater need for new products, pushing people to exploit young women to fill this demand, twisting the minds of the money hungry who find it acceptable to traffic daughters who will never again know the freedom of sitting at her family's dinner table, going to school and sleeping peacefully in her own bed.  Human life has been reduced to a commodity.

There is no doubt life has been cheapened in today's society.  Millions of babies have been killed for the sake of convenience, care giving of our aging population is demeaned as unimportant, the role of mothers in nurturing and raising children is viewed as a side-job, one that is not valuable enough in it's own right.  

As I live in such an atmosphere, it's easy to rationalize my apathy, or to slowly start thinking the same way.  Then I find myself face to face with a homeless man who is clearly suffering, and I look the other way.  Or I callously disregard the holocaust, thinking to myself that women have a right to make decisions regarding their own body.  Or I fail to notice the heroes who selflessly give their time to care for those who can't help themselves, thinking there are other higher profile jobs that are more important.

To avoid being mixed with the world, I must resist cheapening life in every way.

No Mercy.  I look to the government to help those in need.  I assume the welfare state is there to aid the widow and the orphan.  I point the heartbroken woman whose husband left her defenseless, her life in shambles, to public resources forgetting that the Body of Christ is called to care for widows, no matter that she lost her husband to infidelity, not death.  I assume the Department of Social and Health Services is best equipped to handle the children who are displaced by violence and drug abuse.  I don't even think about all the children languishing in orphanages, deprived of the love of a mother and father.

Caring for the least of us, the defenseless, the helpless, those crying out for help, is the kind of religion God sees as real.  Going to church once or twice a week, attending Bible study and giving tithes of time and money are all well and good, but God isn't impressed with my efforts.  Instead, He'd rather that I take the time to tangibly care for those around me, to seek out someone who needs a hand up, to love those who hunger for such a luxury (Isaiah 1:16-17, James 1:27).

To avoid being mixed with the world, I must resist turning a cold shoulder to a world in need.

No wonder God didn't want His people of old to mix in with the nations around them; they were easily swayed by their values, beliefs and ways.  Things are no different now as I've been placed in the midst of a culture that worships idols of all kinds, cheapens life in many ways, and shows no mercy to the helpless.  Against these ways, and more, I must stand firm, refusing to mix in with the world, but remain separate in my thinking while immersed in the way I influence it for Christ.  It's a fine line to walk, but one that I'm enabled to do through Christ.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can love God enough to resist the advances of this world.

How do I look just like the world around me?

Am I sticking out like a sore thumb in my beliefs and actions, or am I more of a chameleon?

Stand in the Breach

"So he said he would destroy them--

had not Moses, his chosen one,

stood in the breach before him

to keep his wrath from destroying them."

Psalm 106:23 NIV

I am no different from the Israelites, failing in many ways to live up to God's standards, to meet His expectations, to faithfully place all my trust in Him.  This God who rules over all the earth in His magnificent sovereignty is not One to cross.  It is a terrible thing to fall under His wrath, into His hands (Hebrews 10:31).

Since my unfaithfulness, my periods of doubt, my selfish ways can incite His wrath just as it did for the Israelites, I need a Moses to stand in the breach, to protect me from His horrible fury that my sin incites.  In standing between God and the wayward people, Moses shielded the guilty ones from being destroyed.  In the same way, Jesus stands in the gap, protecting me from the wrath of God my sins have provoked (Colossians 1:21-22, Romans 5:10). 

Now that I'm in Christ, it's not that God has changed and is no longer infuriated by sin, but that Jesus stands between me and what I truly deserve.  It is true that if I had to face God myself, without the covering of Jesus' blood, I could not stand before Him (Psalm 130:3).  Instead, through faith in Jesus I am forgiven and in right standing with God, despite my unworthiness (Romans 6:23).

Thankfully, Jesus is my Moses.

Test.  I test God's character by my blatant disregard for His sovereign nature.  Problems rise up and I panic, as if God is not in control. Just like the Israelites who had been cared for by God yet lost their composure when there was no water, acting as if they didn't have a God who had delivered them from the heavy hand of a stubborn Pharaoh and parted the Red Sea to provide an escape route.  Instead, they freaked out, thinking they would die of exposure and dehydration (Exodus 17:1-7).

Despite the fact that I often do the same, failing to acknowledge the fact that I have a Father who cares for my needs or refusing to wait for Him to lead me like a Shepherd, I am protected from His rightful anger.  Instead, I only receive His love, grace and mercy as He reminds me of His tender loving care for me, all because Jesus is my go-between (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Jesus stands in the breach for me, between my unfaithfulness and a faithful God.

Ungodly Exchange.  God made me to reflect His glory, to worship at His feet, to enjoy His presence forever, yet I exchange this sacred privilege for something more base.  I turn to worldly pleasures that seem to temporarily quench a desire in my flesh as a cheap substitute for drinking from the satisfying streams of life that come from His unconditional love.  Or I seek out the approval of people in my quest for meaning in life in place of pursuing His esteem.  Or I worship at the altar of success instead of acknowledging the greatness of the One who made me and His plan for me.

He wants my undivided attention, my complete adoration, my whole heart.  Instead, I am distracted by the trivial, worship Him haphazardly, and give him only fragments of what I feel I can let Him have of me.  I don't deserve such a perfectly attentive God who desires my trust, yet in Christ, I have Him, even if I fail to give Him what He truly wants. 

Jesus stands in the breach for me, between my infidelity and a jealous God.

Forget. He never forgets me.  I am always on His mind.  If He had a refrigerator, my picture would be on it, front and center.  Why, then, do I forget Him, letting Him slip from my thoughts, setting Him aside as I tend to the details of my life?  He wants to be in the midst of it with me, slugging through the slop with me instead of me doing it on my own.  I forget how intimate a Father I have through faith in Jesus Christ.

God wants me to remember that He is my only hope when things seem hopeless, that He is my best bet when life seems like a crap shoot, that He is the only One I can count on when I feel all alone.  I can put all my eggs in His basket, yet I tend to withhold a few, just in case.  I don't put all my weight on Him, forgetting He is there waiting to carry my load for me.  If He gave me what I deserved for turning away from Him again and again, I would be destroyed as He wanted to do to the Israelites. Yet, I have hope in Christ!

Jesus stands in the breach for me, between my forgetfulness and a powerful, sovereign God.

I fail in many ways, just like God's people of old.  And just like them, I need someone to stand between me and the God I often test, fail to submit to as Lord, and forget of His faithfulness.  In these ways I could be inciting His righteous anger just like the Israelites did.  They had Moses to stand between them and God, and I have Jesus.  And through Christ, I get the best God has to offer.  May I never take His sacrifice for granted but treasure it thoroughly in the way I live in respect of Him.

As I begin this day I pray I can remember that God's love drove Him to send Jesus to stand in the breach. 

Have I pondered how Jesus bore God's wrath so I did not have to?

Do I ever think of the wrathful side of God and consider how I've been saved from it because of what Jesus has done for me?  How do I respond in the way I live my life?      

Golden Calf

"When the people saw that Moses was so long

in coming down from the mountain,

they gathered around Aaron and said,

'Come, make us gods who will go before us.

As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt,

we don't know what has happened to him.'"

Exodus 32:1

The din of a wild party reached his ears as he descended the mountain.  After spending forty days listening only to the sound of the Lord our God's voice, the raucous carousing assaulted his holy ears.  As he rounded the corner at the bottom of the mountain he saw it: what used to be jewelry formed into the shape of a calf.  What were they thinking?  What is wrong with these people? (Exodus 32)

As hard as it is for me to believe that the people of Israel would so quickly and easily abandon the God who delivered them from the bondage of slavery, if I am honest with myself, I may find the same adulterous attitude in my own heart.  While I don't go so far as to make an image out of something created and offer sacrifices to it, there are times I turn to other things or people during certain times in my life.  What can set my heart to stray?

Waiting

Sarai and Abram had waited ten long years for a child after God had promised to make Abram into a great nation.  Even though God had confirmed this promise some time later, giving him a vivid vision of the covenant the Lord made with him, Abram still wondered how his descendants could receive this vast land if he didn't even have a son. (Genesis 15) 

"Honey, I've been thinking.  I know how stressful this time of waiting for a child has been.  Since the Lord has closed my womb, there must be another way He expects us to go about bearing a child.  I think I have the solution; why don't you sleep with my Egyptian servant?  This way, you will have a child that God can use to fulfill His great promise."

The plan sounded good to Abram.  Ten years is a long time to wait for God to act.  Surely He didn't mean for it to take this long.  Yes, there must be a part he needed to play and this seemed like just the thing.  What a time to celebrate!  The child of promise would soon be born! (Genesis 16:1-3)

Interestingly, God rejected this child of their own plan and the couple had to wait an additional 15 years before Sarai, then renamed as Sarah, would bear her own child.  Isaac would become the child through whom the blessing would be fulfilled. (Genesis 21:1-7)

It is hard to wait for God to meet a need, bring about a vision, or fulfill a promise made.  When it takes longer than I care to wait, I may do as Sarai did, thinking there is a part I'm expected to play.  While I have grown up hearing that God helps those who help themselves, the principle behind this common saying is not rooted in truth.  Instead, I learn from God's Word that when I wait on the Lord, putting all my hope in Him and letting Him choose the timetable, method and means, I will be renewed in my strength and given power to persevere as I let God take the reigns. (Isaiah 40:31)

While it is not easy to wait, letting God lead is always the better option.  Turning to other solutions means I have given up on the Lord.  Even though I may not consciously mean to abandon my faith, that is exactly what I do when I take matters into my own hands instead of waiting for God to provide in His perfect time.

Placing my trust in other people or solutions during a long period of waiting on the Lord is a way that I worship my own golden calf.

Expectation

The land had been promised long ago.  By all accounts, it was an abundant land filled with giant grapes, luscious pomegranates, delectable figs and many good things.  It was described as a land flowing with milk and honey; it seemed ideal!  The only problem was the people who lived there: They would not easily give up their precious land, creating for them ferocious opponents and an impossible obstacle.  This is not what the people of Israel expected when God said He would give them a land to call their own.  (Numbers 13:25-33)

I can relate to the plight of God's people.  There are many times when God supplies my needs, answers my prayers or solves my problems in ways I don't expect.  When I carry a certain expectation, assuming that God will give me what I want, when I want it and how I want it, I can count on the fact that I will be disappointed.

Instead of expecting God to work in the way I as a mere human operate, I would be wise to trust God to do as He sees fit, watching and waiting expectantly for Him to blow my mind with His creative response.  I limit God when I assume He'll work my way.  

When I need relief from a painful situation, instead of delivering me from it like I expect, He may give me more grace so I can persevere through it.  When my bills are mounting and my pay is shrinking, I may think the answer is more income.  In His infinite wisdom, however, God may have a lesson for me in the middle of the struggle, choosing instead to delay recovery in order to teach me gratitude and give me an opportunity to improve my stewardship.  When I think the answer to my struggles is found in delivery from it, God may choose to leave them as a thorn in my side that will keep me humbly reliant on Him.  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Expecting God to work in a way I deem as best is one way I turn to my own golden calf.

Doubt

"Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?"

"No, He said we can eat our fill from every tree except the one in the center.  Of that tree, we must not touch or we'll die."

"How absurd!  You won't die! God knows that once you partake of that fruit, your eyes will be opened and you'll know good from evil.  Die?  Preposterous!" (paraphrased from Genesis 3:1-6)

And with that seed of doubt planted firmly in Eve's mind, she began to consider the off-limits tree, something about which she had never before thought.  Doubt is a powerful enemy of my faith.  When I begin to question what I know to be the truth, I am headed down a path that takes me away from God and His perfect plan for my life.

In contrast, faith believes without seeing, never needing to understand something completely in order to trust it but simply knowing that if God said it, there is no need for further scrutiny.  When I am tempted to question what I know to be true, then I would be wise to turn away from doubt and remind myself of the truth as I have learned it.

For instance, when I know God has placed me in a certain position for His purposes, I can stand firm.  If I am tempted to look for a new job, doubting His sovereignty because the atmosphere is difficult and full of strife, I must remind myself that I am salt and light in a lost and darkened world. (Matthew 5:13-16)

Other times I may wonder how God could possibly use my testimony to touch anyone's life for Christ.  Instead of questioning the power of my story of salvation, I can remind myself I am a sinner who has been plucked from the jaws of death and freely given the gift of life for all of eternity.  (Romans 5:6-11)  What is more powerful than that?

Sometimes I even wonder if I'm on the wrong track because things seem to be going in a way that is difficult and causes much suffering.  I start to wonder if I might have heard God wrong, or maybe I misinterpreted His message because surely this can't be His plan for my life.  It is then that I can remind myself that God brings good out of every situation and there's nothing I can do to counteract this goodness.  (Romans 8:28)

Nurturing the seeds of doubt planted by my Enemy is another way I turn to my own golden calf.

I have never seen anyone make for themselves an idol made of gold, silver or wood.  Still, idol worship is a big problem in this day and age.  While I don't intend to stray from my faith in the One True God, I do have a tendency to wander away from Him.  I am guilty of making my own golden calf when I lose my patience while waiting, expect God to work in a way I desire and doubt what I know to be true.  It is my desire that I would stand strong this day as I trust solely and completely in the Lord.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God without giving into the temptation to go my own way.

When do I buy into the lies Satan tries to sell me?

How am I losing faith in God by leaning more on what I think than on the truth?