Where's Your Focus?

I've finally got through the part of Exodus where God finished giving Moses the 10 Commandments and regulations to live by. We come to chapter 32 to find that the Israelites lost control. Without their leader they lost their way and turned to the next best thing they could think of - a calf they crafted out of gold. Now I'm thinking, "Can you be any more stupid?!" Hello, do you not see that the mountain is still trembling and filled with smoke? Doesn't that give you a clue that God is still upon it? Didn't you just vow to follow God no matter what? Ah, but if I step back I wonder if I would have done the same thing. Sure, the trembling, loud thunder sound and smoke would have gotten my attention and scared me enough to realize God is in control and is all powerful. But after a while I probably would have gotten use to the sight and sounds and become desensitized to it. And being the weak person I am, I probably would have let myself wonder away from the awesome display. Which in turn would open myself up to wanting to fill myself up with something other then God. WOW, that just knocks the judgmental thoughts right out of my head!

Exodus 32:7 says, "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves." Corrupted themselves - how often to I corrupt myself? It's not like God corrupted them. They brought it all upon themselves by turning their eyes off the mountain. Hebrews 12:2 says that we are to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and profecter of faith." Let us not become like the Israelites who fixed their eyes on what they wanted and away from God. It only takes one small thing to create spiritual cancer.

I like what Psalm 73:25-26 & 28 says, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever . . . . But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of Your works." When we take our eyes of Jesus and desire other things, we are unable to be effective for His Kingdom. I want to be able to say in my heart, "I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of Your works." How about you? Where do you keep your eyes focused?

Krista Jones
1.28.08