³ All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

Exodus 32:3-4

Dear God, this morning, I was listening to the Bible in a year podcast I’ve been following and this was part of the reading. I found myself confessing to you that there are things I taken and called them you. There are things in my life that I say are God, but I also attribute them to concrete things I can get my head around and explain for myself.

For example, we’ve had remarkable fundraising success at the nonprofit where I work, and when I visit with our board of directors about it, I am and always have been quick to point out that it is the result of your providence and a lot of prayer on our part. But lately, as I’ve heard about other nonprofits and churches doing well, I’ve also started to add in other explanations to combine with you. Maybe it’s the stock market. Maybe it’s that we are a health clinic and people are more sensitive to our work because of a global pandemic. Maybe this. Maybe that. Well, if you moved through those things, that is great, but I confess to you that I believe you are my provision. And the money in the bank will not be the gold in my ears. I will not take it and form it into something that takes your place or physically represents you. I will not try to understand you and how you work. I will just worship you and thank you for giving us the resources we need to help the people who come to us.

Another example is the idol we make out of government. I have a friend who never cared about politics until six years ago. Then they became enamored with President Trump. Regardless of what anyone thinks about him or his policies, no man is worthy of the adulation she ascribes to him. She travels hundreds of miles to hear him speak. Now, she is into another politician who is running for governor of our state. She went to one of his stump speeches this weekend, and she is thinking about driving 150 miles today to hear him again. At the same time, I’ve talked to her about discipleship in her life and she has no frame of reference for that. I got to thinking about her last night and told my wife, “She seems to want to be inspired.” I would change that this morning to say that she is looking for something/someone to put her faith in.

Father, I am sorry. I am sorry for trying to find anything but you to put my faith in. And now, as I wait for you–as I wait with the Israelites for Moses to come back down the mountain–I will wait patiently to have you answer my prayers. You are my God. Do it whatever way you want to do it and take however long you need to take.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen