Author: astherainandsnow

“He made the breastpiece, in skilled work,.. of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. It was square…  They set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold filigree. There were twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They were like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. They made on the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold.  They made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece… They attached the two ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree… to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. Then they made two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.  They made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.  And they bound the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not come loose.” Exodus 39:8-16,18-21

The priestly garments for ministering in the Holy Place were intricately crafted and lovely. Carefully woven, hammered, enclosed, and attached, each material was designed and incorporated into a secure breastpiece, worn by the priest in remembrance of every member of every tribe he represented before the Lord. They were always on his heart, and secure.

Our Great High Priest so carries us, right against His bosom that throbs with love and mercy. He adorns Himself with us, as He carried our sins to the cross, now His children as treasured ornaments. He ever bears us before the Father, interceding perfectly according to His will for our sanctification, that we will not fall, and that we will love with His love. He defends us against accusation. No one can ever snatch us from His hand, or heart. (Zephaniah 3:17; Luke 22:31-32; John 1:14; John 10:28-29; 17:15,17,26; Romans 8:31-34; Hebrews 7:25)

He also names us His priests, with the privilege of bearing one another’s burdens and holding others in our heart. He entrusts us to certain relationships to care and support with compassion and love. He reminds us to pray, upholding loved ones, hard situations, our government leaders, and the persecuted church before God’s throne. (Matthew 5:44; Galatians 6:2; Ephesians 6:19-20; Philippians 1:7; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Peter 2:9)

Whom has the Lord named for me to wear on my heart? How conscientiously, lovingly, and consistently am I serving them as priest of my Lord?

Lord, may I be faithful to hold in my heart and before Your throne those You’ve entrusted to me. Help me bear their burdens and minister as a benediction to their souls, all for Your sake. (Ephesians 6:23-24; Philippians 1:3-11)

“A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
    but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed…^.
All the days of the afflicted are evil,
    but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
    than great treasure and trouble with it…
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
    and a word in season, how good it is!..
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
    and good news refreshes the bones.” Proverbs 15:13,15-16,23,30

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,
    but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25

“A joyful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22

“God loves a cheerful giver… He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.  By their approval of this service, they will glorify God.” 2 Corinthians 9:7b,10-13

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice…  I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Philippians 4:4,11b

“Rejoice always,.. give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16,18

Cheerfulness resides in the soul that is not self-consumed, but Spirit-filled and content. All of life is a gift, and the opportunity to live another day an opportunity to be joyful and bring attention to the Giver and Lord of every good gift. A thankful heart begets a positive outlook, which leads to a cheerful countenance, that in turn spreads to a contagious expectant attitude. A cheerful word does much to lift the burdened, raise the eyes, and gladden the heart. Cheerful service conveys value and love, and cheerful giving models godliness and awakens gratitude and praise to a generous God. (James 1:17)

And just as cheerfulness is contagious, so are rancor, whining, fretting, negativity, and a critical spirit. So are irritability and crankiness. Whether I keep my head in a cloud of doom, or one made light with God’s presence, will determine the atmosphere in my home, workplace, and surroundings. What am I looking for, what am I spreading, and what do I want to spread? Do I see the smile or scatter on the sidewalk? The soul-sick are in need of infectious cheer from a smile or a word, and I can make a difference. (Exodus 13:21-22; Proverbs 15:1)

Can I learn to let harsh and hurt slide off my back? Can I be big enough not to be touchy, nor return evil for evil, but respond with grace? The indwelling Spirit can bridle the tongue and face into a soft answer and loving expression. If I deliberately bless others, the Lord blesses in return, and joy spills over to abound. For what legitimate reason would we not seek the good and rejoice in God’s riches owned as His children? (Romans 12:17; Ephesians 1:3,11-14; 1 Peter 3:9)

Good Father, imprint and identify me by a steady, unshakable cheerfulness that is irresistible to the world and glorifying to You.

“My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
    and watching over the way of his saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
discretion will watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
 delivering you from the way of evil…
men whose paths are crooked,
    and who are devious in their ways.

“So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
    from the adulteress with her smooth words…

“So you will walk in the way of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.” Proverbs 2:1-12a,15-16,20

Being so inclined is often offered as a choice: ‘if you please.’ But in God’s spiritual economy, it is a mandate toward His word and truth if we are to fear Him and be wise. So inclining our hearts is an act of will that reaps sure benefits every day.

When we incline ourselves to understanding the Lord by listening, receiving, and storing up His word, we learn the value and soundness of what He imparts. We begin to see why He does what He does, and how. We learn to trust His defense of our minds, and to renew them regularly to determine His will. We start to make a habit of thinking on things above, and true, and noble, and right. We experience that wisdom begets integrity, justice, discretion, and discernment. It fortifies our wills, and delivers from evil delusions and temptation. (Romans 8:31-34; 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 4:7-8; Colossians 3:1-2)

When tempted to detour off the righteous way, or entertain a wayward enticement, we must assess our treasure and inclination. If we really value godly wisdom, we will determine every decision in light of it: will this add to my knowledge and understanding of the Lord? Is this motivated by proper fear of Him? Does this exhibit wisdom that’s from above, and therefore pure, peaceable, open to reason, full of mercy, impartial, and promoting a harvest of righteousness? (James 3:17-18)

“May the mind of Christ, my Savior, 
Live in me from day to day,
By his love and pow’r controlling 
All I do and say.

May the word of God dwell richly 
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph 
Only through his pow’r.

May the love of Jesus fill me 
As the waters fill the sea.
Him exalting, self abasing:
This is victory.

May we run the race before us, 
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus 
As we onward go.” ~Kate Wilkinson (1925)

Lord, incline me to seek and treasure You in every thought, impulse, desire, and effort, and so gain wisdom and glorify You.

“When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend.., and the Lord would speak with Moses… face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…

“Moses said to the Lord, ‘You say to me, “Bring up this people,” but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, “I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.”  Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight…’  And he said, ‘My presence will go with you…’ He said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.  For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?’

“The Lord said, ‘This very thing… I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.’ Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’ ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name “The LORD…” There is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and cover you with my hand.’” Exodus 33:9,11-19,21-22

Moses, who enjoyed deep communion with his Lord to the point of absorbing His glorious radiance, was merely a man. In all his great faith he was a man of weakness and insecurity. It may seem a strange dichotomy for one so noble and brave, but the flesh is a nemesis for every child of God being sanctified here below.

But this gracious Father never ceases to strive with His own, respond to earnest prayer, and show Himself faithful. Moses knew and recorded ongoing communion with his Sovereign. He honestly admitted frustration and inadequacy for his assigned tasks. God performed marvelously in his behalf, yet he had his moments of doubting whether he really had His favor, and was bold to ask for reassurance. God so loved him, and understood his heart, that He responded to every request with generous grace and affection. (Exodus 4:1-13)

There are life situations that leave us reeling, uncertain in our purpose, unmoored where we’d always found security and confidence. But these revelations and changes for us are no surprise to the Almighty. They might even be His exact tool for our chastening, discipline, or upbuilding of faith. Maintaining honest dialogue with Him opens our eyes to His sure hold, grace, and glory.

Where do we struggle with insecurity of calling, direction, or God’s favor? When we cannot grasp His plan, we must seek His ways- how has He worked before? What has He taught? Are we doing our part to join His present activity, or flippantly demanding that He join ours? Do we know the desperation of needing His presence and power, and will we wait in the cleft for it?

Father, please secure my wayward emotions and fix my soul in Your truths. I long to know Your ways and behold Your glory, that You be magnified in my life.

“Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility  by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,  and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility… For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:12-16,18-20

In many nations of our world, aliens and strangers cross borders, fleeing violence and persecution, risking life and lonely, yearning for hope and safety and new life. They ford streams, trod in caravans, secretly steal undetected, all to leave, all to come. The conduit between from and to is as varied as those making attempt.

Spiritually, that way is made, and it’s all on the Way Maker. The crossing is a Cross, the way is blood, and all who make the journey find refuge into new citizenship on the other side. Enemies become friends, wanderers find home, the condemned are free. We may not be able to delineate the boundary between doubt and belief, wonder and faith, lost and found, but at one perceptible moment it is transversed, and new life begins. (Hebrews 11:13-16; John 14:6; Colossians 1:19-20)

Have I stepped to the other side? Is the country of doubt, fear, or fretting now in the distant past? Have I left the entanglement of impatience, bitterness, or malice behind? If I’m still loitering at the border, unwilling to stop coddling the old, or uncertain about putting on a recreated thought process, and reordering my outlook to enter the new, I have a decision to make. Jesus has made the way, but no one can walk it for me. What will it take to bid adieu forever to the old and enter the freedom of the wide place prepared for me? (Psalm 18:19; 31:8)

“And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.” ~Charles Wesley (1738)

What evidence is there I have crossed the border? Whom will I bring to see and desire the new country of Christ?

My Savior, may I never forget Your blood and the way You made for me. Help me fully access the unsearchable riches of Your grace and light, and boldly bring them to a world separated from You, for their fullness, and Your glory. (Ephesians 3:7-19)

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

“Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.’” John 12:23-26

There is a glory in completely others-centered service. We’ve seen the joy. We’ve received the grace that effuses from a surrendered life, enjoyed the fragrance of every loving act, every blessing and affection bestowed. We are captivated by the glow of delight in one who serves wholeheartedly unto the Lord, because He’s present in it. The glory is all His, pulsing from His heart of limitless love. (Romans 5:5)

So much of our service is actually self–serving. We ‘serve’ because we actually like to ‘do.’ We serve because someone we admire asked and would be pleased. We get involved and work according to our preferences and convenience. But the serving Jesus modeled, and said we must follow, is a serving unto death to ourselves. It was in His sacrifice that He was glorified, and He beckons us, as His servants, to honor Him with the same. (John 13:3-5,15)

The epitome of self-giving enabled Jesus to draw all men to Himself. His surrender of spirit enabled us, by His grace and reconciliation, to give of ourselves to Him and others. His death loosens our grip on self-interest and the need to be first and right, freeing us to consider others more important than ourselves, to prefer their interests and needs. And there is such gladness when Jesus is exalted! (Matthew 27:50; John 12:32; Romans 12:10-11; Philippians 2:3-4)

Is our service snippy in our workplace, crusty among our church, always with a sigh at home? Is it clipped with attitude, huffy with resentment, or chafed at the cost to our convenience? Maybe we need take a step back and a good look at the motivation, and the end goal. Unto ourselves? Unto others? Unto the Lord? Our sovereign Master is not pleased by public displays that hanker for attention, or corrupt, manipulative hearts. Emptiness rings hollow when we’re racking points or making boast. But genuine service for the sake of our Lord raises high His name and reflects His lovely face. (Matthew 6:5-6; 7:12; 1 Corinthians 13:1-7; Colossians 3:23)

“Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.” ~Frances Havergal (1874) 

Oh Lord, may I serve You as You have served me. And may Your glory be magnified in all You ask me to do for others’ sake, that they sense it is You who have loved them well.

“Leave your simple ways, and live,
    and walk in the way of insight…
 Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Proverbs 9:6,8b-10

“To the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Matthew 13:12

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” 2 Timothy 1:5-6

“Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ… Therefore, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” 2 Peter 1:5-8,10

God does nothing half- heartedly, nor does He ever grow complacent. He saves us and strives with us to conform us to Himself over the course of our days on earth, so we will be like Him upon entering heaven. His way is to add and refine and sanctify as we yield and practice and renew. God’s divine moral and economic principle is that the more we are given and put to use, the more we gain and grow. (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 3:2)

How am I adding to the knowledge I’ve been given, adding precept upon precept as I digest and exercise each one? What am I doing with the resources God has entrusted to me? How am I exercising His gifts to strengthen and perfect them, and for the good of others in His kingdom? Where am I sowing the word to effect spiritual growth, or giving generously so riches abound? What can I offer to the Lord that He may multiply? (Ecclesiastes 11:1; Isaiah 28:10; Proverbs 11:24-25; Matthew 14:16-21; 1 Corinthians 3:6-7; 2 Corinthians 9:10)

Where have I grown stagnant in spiritual growth, or complacent in service? Do I settle for knowledge of the past, with no immediate or present application? Would I confess my spiritual lethargy and ask for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, to obey? Are there friends who can help me fan into flame what he has given, that his glory might be magnified? Would we mutually encourage one another to do greater works than now? (John 14:12; Romans 12:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13)

Lord, direct my devotion and doing to diligence. May I grow in Your gifts and give generously to build Your Body, for the sake of Your kingdom and glory. (Ephesians 4:11-13,15-16)

“Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off,  and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.  When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’  Jesus said, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’  Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’  She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’

“When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary… [who] rose quickly and went to him… [and] fell at his feet, saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.  And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’  Jesus wept.  So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” John 11:17-29,32-36

In any poignant moment, emotions run fast and deep, pulling at the heart and prompting various action. Sometimes they distort vision, sometimes they spill out in impulsive accusations or wrong conclusions. But always they are known by, and important to, our Lord. He sees through any wrongness to His good ends.

He emotes with us, always in perfect measure and purity. His hot liquid tears reflect the wrench of deep compassion in His heart at the anguish of broken lives not intended to be this way. His measureless love flows beyond the edges of our comprehension and fills moments with indescribable bittersweetness, matching pain with exquisite comfort. He also foreknows, and always sees the glory in our hardest of situations. The pain we suffer is often the perfect backdrop for us to behold God’s immense love, His promised resurrection and brightest hope. (Genesis 2:9,15-17; 3:1-7; John 11:40-44)

When we experience how genuinely Jesus loves, how responds our melting heart? How drawn are we to love Him lavishly in return, and others the same? Understanding His tenderness should tenderize us toward life’s agonies. How deeply do we care about the griefs of others, or are we too self-important or frenetically occupied to even notice a broken heart, a downward countenance, a lonely suffering friend? (Genesis 40:6-7)

“Spirit of God, who dwells within my heart, 
wean it from sin, through all its pulses move. 
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as you are, 
and make me love you as I ought to love. 

Teach me to love you as your angels love, 
one holy passion filling all my frame: 
the fullness of the heaven-descended Dove; 
my heart an altar, and your love the flame.” ~George Croly (1854)

Lord, help me grasp the vast measure of Your divine love, and to love You, and others, for Your glorious sake. (Ephesians 3:14-19)

“Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution… Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded.

“And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments… All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord…  Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it… Every one who possessed acacia wood of any use brought it. Every skillful woman… brought what they had spun in blue, purple, and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. The leaders brought onyx and stones to be set, for the ephod and the breastpiece,  and spices and oil for the light, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense. All… whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work… brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.

“Moses said, ‘The Lord has called by name Bezalel;.. and has filled him with the Spirit of God, skill, intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze,  in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach…  He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or a designer or an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.’

“Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work… They kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning… The material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.” Exodus 35:5,10,21-22,24-35; 36:2,3b,7

God gave Moses His plans for the tabernacle, and Moses spoke to the people. Through His words, individual hearts were stirred and spirits moved to contribute toward the resplendent place of sacrifice and worship. Varied treasures and goods, particular skills and intelligence, were summoned by the Almighty in measure sufficient for His work and glory.

God is still in the business of stirring and moving individuals for His kingdom work. The beauty of His plans so inspired is that they are always met with His supply. Burnout, failure to complete, and unhealthy stress come when we fail to balance His call and gifting with margin and rest, or when a few try to do the work intended for many. Humbly acknowledging and offering our grace-given gifts, and seeking His direction and will, result in effective service that glorifies Him. (Romans 12:1-8; 2 Corinthians 9:10-14; Philippians 4:19)

To what is my heart stirred this day, and how readily do I respond? If I do not know His regular movement of my spirit, am I taking time to listen? Has my heart calloused with greed or selfishness? Where is He calling me to give or serve, and how can I encourage others to join His work?

Lord, stir my heart in love for Thee, and move me to contribute as You choose, for Your glorious sake.

“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered to Aaron and said, ‘Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses,.. we do not know what has become of him.’ ² So Aaron said, ‘Take off the rings of gold.., and bring them to me.’ ³ So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ And he… fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. They said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel!’ Aaron… built an altar before it… They rose early the next day and offered burnt offerings.., [and] sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play…

“Moses went down from the mountain…  As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot… He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the people of Israel drink it.

“‘What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?’ Aaron said,.. ‘You know the people… are set on evil… I said to them, “Let any who have gold take it off.” So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.’

“When Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose), [he] said, ‘Who is on the Lord’s side?'” Exodus 32:1-6,15,19-22,24-26

Moses’s forty days on the Mount with the Lord proved too much in testing his brother. As days turned and the multitude’s impatience grew, Aaron’s fortitude and faith weakened to the point of abdication. Fear won out, giving way to pride and idolatry run rampant. His opportunity to stand firm and redirect the people to God’s promises slipped away as he gave in to their misguided wishes and rebellion. Moses’s return and renouncement set all clear, making obvious the opportunity that had been missed.

We face decisions every day whether to give in to fear or stand strong, whether to yield to wayward emotions or obey. Opportunities abound both to go astray and to do the right thing, and every step in either direction makes that way more palatable, and easy. Aaron’s choice to let angst and whine get under his skin, and to surrender to fear of the masses, led to sin that led to more sin. Perhaps getting caught in the frenzy of false worship and self-importance sullied his view of reality. Whether he deliberately lied to his brother or not, sin’s steep slope had proved too slippery to resist. Moses’s swift, firm action proved what true conviction looked like.

How are we exercising our freedom in responding to daily choices? To uphold truth, to love and serve, or go the way of flesh? We do defines what we worship. Where are we erecting our own gods to placate impatience, or alien desire? What opportunity to stretch our faith in waiting, and doing right, have we yielded to more immediate golden calves? (Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 5:13,16-17,19-23)

Lord, fix my eyes and choices on Thee. Give me courage to seize every opportunity to grow in faith, to honor and worship You alone, and rightly.