Devotion: Led By Hope

When Moses failed to come back down the mountain rightaway, the people went to Aaron.  “Look” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us.  This man, Moses, who brought us here from Egypt has disappeared.  We don’t know what has happened.” 

Exodus 32:1

 

The Israelites had been lead out of slavery in Egypt by Moses, and when they reached the Sinai, Moses went up onto a mountain to hear from God.  What ensued down in the valley is interesting. 

The Israelites, fresh from their escape, felt leaderless and unsure.  That had spent their entire life under the burden of slavery to now find themselves in a strange land and under a strange sensation:  hope.

Yet, they do not know how to handle this newfound sensation.  Instead, they need something to bow down to.  Therefore, they approached Aaron telling him to build them a god—a god made of gold.

Whether we believe it or not, we are all hungry for some sort of leadership in our lives.  Like the Israelites making a new god out of gold, we gravitate towards things, objects and relationships that seem to fill us up but inevitably disappoint us.

Rather than being led by fear, what if we were led by hope.

As Paul tells the Romans, “now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.”