“When the people saw that Moses delayed…the people gathered together to Aaron and said, ‘Come make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses…we do not know what has become of him.’” Exodus 32:1.
One of the most applicable stories in the Bible is the story of the golden calf. The children of Israel had once again managed to frustrate the plans of God. Repeatedly we read about the manner in which they treated God with utter disrespect, turning their hearts to idolatry. Yet this morning I realized for the first time something interesting…something different…something eerily familiar. God showed me a different side of the coin today regarding the motivation of their hearts when they asked for Aaron to ‘make a new god’ for them. Their motivation wasn’t evil and disobedience at that point…their motivation was pure impatience. They had been waiting on the appearance of Moses to bring them a message from God. Their impatience is what put into place their sinful response to delay. This is where the story is eerily familiar to me and perhaps to you.
We would probably come up empty if we were searching for a single heart who was not waiting for God to move in their circumstances. The delay of the diagnosis of a medical issue that could change lives. The delay of a loving relationship that could finally fill the loneliness. The delay of a prodigal child returning home. And finally, the delay of a dream that has resided in our heart for years unrealized and unfulfilled. We will all be asked to ‘wait at the base of the mountain’ until God reappears with our resolution. How will we wait? Will we wait well? Will our impatience lead to our temptation to take matters into our own hands? Will our temptation prompt action, becoming sin or disobedience? We might not have a visible fire with a molded golden calf, but that is not to say we are not warming our hands near the fire.
God’s timing will never be our timing and the delay for which we experience must be met with intentional worship and patience. Patience is one of the foundations of Christianity and builds trust and confidence in God. Waiting on God in all areas of our lives is the ultimate act of worship and an offering that everyone can afford. If you are waiting on God to come down off the mountain and move in your situation you can be confident that He is faithful and perfect in His knowledge of every detail in your life. He will work every single thing to your benefit and for your good aligning it with His perfect will.
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