Something We Can Control
Exodus 32:1 — When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
Read the story: Exodus 32:1–6.
Connection: 1 Corinthians 10:6–7.
Moses had been gone longer than the people expected, and they wanted something done about it. They couldn’t see what was happening on the mountain and they didn’t know when he would return. So they approached Aaron and demanded gods to lead them. Aaron collected their gold, fashioned a calf, and built an altar before it. He even announced a feast to the Lord. Religious language remained, but their trust had shifted. They were attempting to worship through an image of their own making, in violation of what God commanded.
It’s almost painful to watch. The Lord broke Pharaoh’s hold on them and opened a path through the sea, and now they’re gathering jewelry to construct something they could manipulate. The God who delivered them was being replaced by an object that couldn’t take a single step unless someone carried it. Their substitute was smaller than the God they needed, but it was available on their terms.
We’ll never ask someone to fashion a golden calf. Still, waiting can expose how badly we want something visible to secure us. You refresh an account balance as though the number could guarantee your future. You seek one more person’s approval because obeying without it feels too uncertain. You begin consulting a horoscope or a self-held guru because you want guidance without having to trust the Lord. Financial security and human counsel can be good gifts. They become dangerous when we assign them authority God hasn’t given them, or when keeping them becomes more important than obeying Him. Our hearts reveal what we trust when it tells us to do something different from what Jesus says.
Put simply, God’s greatness can unsettle our desire for control. We can’t arrange His timing, narrow His wisdom to what makes sense to us, or require Him to explain every delay. But consider the alternative. A god who never exceeds our understanding could never see farther than we do. A god we control could never rescue us from the limits of our own judgment. But the living God is gloriously more than we can manage! He knows what we’ll never discover and remains faithful when we can’t see what He is doing. And He has made His heart known in Jesus. The eternal Son’s resurrection is God’s answer to the fear that evil or death might finally overpower Him. We may not know what tomorrow contains, but we know the character of the One who holds it.
And being a Surrendered Servant reaches into this uncomfortable place. We make ourselves available to Jesus without requiring Him to surrender His authority to our need for certainty. His life can be expressed through us even while an answer remains unfinished. Maybe you’re waiting for something important. You can ask, grieve, plan, and seek wise help. You can also let the Lord remain greater than what you understand. His wisdom is one of the reasons you’re safe to trust Him.
Head: The living God deserves the trust I’m tempted to place in something I can manage.
Heart: What do I reach for when trusting God feels too uncertain?
Hands: Complete this sentence honestly: “I don’t think I can be okay unless _____.” Bring your answer to Jesus, asking Him to show you whether that desire has begun directing choices that belong under His authority.
Prayer: “Father, thank You that Your wisdom and power exceed my ability to understand them. Forgive me for seeking substitutes when Your timing unsettles me. Bring my anxious desire for control under the care You have revealed in Jesus and teach me to remain available to You while I wait. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
-PK