Anchor Devotional

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God’s Timing

“They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf.” Exodus 32:8

When I read the Old Testament, I find myself surprised at how easily God’s people forget His mercy and provision. I wonder at how they could turn so quickly and disobey without a second thought. Yet when God is taking much longer than I would like, my own heart grows impatient; I begin to grumble in pure Israelite fashion.

Exodus 32 opens by saying that “the people saw that Moses was taking so long in coming down from the mountain.” They were weary of waiting and wanted something they could see, touch, and ultimately control. In other words, the Israelites mistook God’s delay for absence.

Our God is never absent! But we want Him on our own terms. We think we’d like to be in control of things. When we look for shortcuts outside of God’s timing, the consequences are costly, just as they were for the Israelites who formed their golden calf. Psalm 106 tells us that anything we use in place of God will always fail us. But praise be to our God who gathers us from the nations that we may give thanks to His holy name and glory in His praise (see v. 47).

SCRIPTURE FOCUS
Psalm 106:19-23, 47-48

INSIGHT
Lord, I confess that waiting on Your timing is hard. Forgive me for the idols I’ve fashioned out of my impatience. Help me to trust Your providence. Amen

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 11-12
Psalm 48
Luke 11

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