Blessings-Long

“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^a 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

 

In Exodus 31, Moses joined God on the mountain for forty days. We don’t know whether he told the Israelites that he would be gone for fourth days or not  but in Exodus 32 it says, “the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain.  The Israelites were impatient. Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain. Do you think the Israelites learned about idols from the Egyptians? Why would they need a god to follow? They had been led by God in a cloud of smoke and pillar of fire. They were eye witnesses to the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, they ate manna and quail provided by God. God was alive and His glory was present and could be seen on Mount Horeb. Yet, they proceeded to make an idol in sheer disobedience not only did Aaron make the idol, they sacrificed and ate in front of this god.  In verse 7-9 the LORD told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. 8How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 9Then the LORD said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. 10Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”

My five -minutes of thoughts on the word long

Go.

I am writing a day late on the word long. Daily I suffer with headaches, some days are very long. Sometimes as I am writing I have to ponder on the word before I can write. An idol is anything in your life that you long for more than God. The Israelites did not wait very long before they disobeyed God. Often  I wonder when I put things ahead of my relationship with God does God wonder when I will remember that He is with me and I do not have to serve the idol. Take for instance the idol of being busy. I long to have free time, but I schedule too many things in my day. I long for acceptance from God, yet His Word says I am accepted because I am God’s child. (John 1:12). I long for His love, yet His Word says I am loved, he adopted me as His child. (Ephesians 1:5) I long for healing of these headaches, yet His Word says I can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:16) What idol is in your life that is more important than God? Do you long to have a special relationship with God yet you do not trust God enough to let go of what is preventing you from having this relationship? I do long to be healed but until that day comes daily I make a choice to go and serve God and not to give in to the pain.

Stop.

Father God, every day I long to serve you. I long to tell others about your love. I long to walk in the truth of your word. I long to pray and seek your will for my life. Remove the idols of being busy, the idol of resentment, the idol of pride, the idol of food. In Colossians 2:10, your word says that I am complete in Christ. I have these feelings that I am inadequate. At times I feel worthless, at times I am frustrated because the headaches continues. I long to be healed. However, today I choose to believe the truth that I am intrinsically valuable in spite of these headaches. I choose to trust you Lord. I choose to be blessed. I choose to not take part in idol worship. I choose to put my trust in you because you have made me a new creation, and you renew me daily. I long daily to be close to you and I celebrate that I am your daughter. Oh Father God, for the person reading this prayer, let them long to be your child, renewed, daily.  For your mercies are new every morning. Blessings.

Lamentations 3:22-23

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.”

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3