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How long do you remember the things God has done for you? Are you still boasting about things He did sixteen years ago, living in the faith of that miracle? Or are you more like the Israelites–three months into the journey and your memory has completely erased all evidence of a great God who loves you.

That’s how long the Israelites had been camping in the wilderness when this happened:

¹ 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 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.”

^2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” ^3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. ^4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

^5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.”

Exodus 32:1-5

Only seventy-some days after God parted the Red Sea and sixty-some after food fell from heaven, the company is upset because Moses is taking too long. Meanwhile, Yahweh had turned bitter water into clean, sent quail so they’d have meat, and helped them defeat the Amalekites.

Yet, when their spiritual leader stepped out of the room for forty days havoc ensued, and Moses’ brother couldn’t stop it. In fact, he supported it. He tried to cover up his mistake by putting an altar to Yahweh in front of the calf, but he was too late.

Israel’s story begs the question, “How many days can pass without me seeing, feeling, or hearing God before I seek other gods?

I’ve been hard on Israel in the past. I can’t imagine watching the water pile up on either side of me and escaping from my enemies, then deserting the Creator who did that just a few months later. Yet, I have taken time off from reading scripture because my schedule got too busy. And when I was very young, after seventeen years of missing worship a handful of times, I let my faith become a fall back or safety net for a couple of years. It’s not that I deserted it; however, worship became optional. I kept my disciplines handy in case something bad happened, but during that time, I thought I could manage on my own.

Like Aaron, I didn’t discount Yahweh as my God but I picked up a few extra just in case–money, work, children, husband. I followed what I could see. I went to worship a few times a year to make my parents happy and let God know He was still on my list of things I depend on but looking back, I think I may have been drinking the bitter water created with the calf’s dust.

^19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. ^20 And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.

Exodus 32:19-20

It’s a miracle how my life changed after I started to make Yahweh a priority. It was slow growth. I committed to worship twice a month and I found a small group. My life had become difficult–consequences of my ungodly behavior. That calf’s dust was not pleasant to drink. But with each turn back toward the One who loves me more than I can imagine, the journey eased. It took years before I grew to the point I felt blessed, but God was with me in every small step I took in the right direction.

Wherever you are in your journey, I hope you’ve given up the calf’s dust. And if you’re already basking in the blessings of the Promised Land, be sure to share them with others.

Wait! Before you leave I want to tell you about my first work of fiction!
Have you seen Adira: Journey to Freedom?
Nehemiah’s niece struggles with faith and slavery.
Her journey is hard, but it’s rich.
You can read the reviews on Goodreads and order your copy right here!