Yesterday I wrote about the similarities the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus has with modern times, describing how today we make “gods” of our things and activities, placing them ahead of God in our lives.

I don’t believe there is anything wrong with having a garage filled with sports cars, a private jet in the hanger, a private box at every sporting venue in town, or any other luxury. Look at Solomon, who was the picture of wealth, and privilege, and God approved and blessed him, until he got his priorities mixed up and began opening up to false religions. The important thing is getting our priorities right.

It doesn’t take millions of dollars to have our priorities mixed up either, whether it is a million dollar Ferrari, or the standing Saturday card game that keeps us from getting to church on Sunday, the important factor is that we keep God in the exclusive position at the top of our priority list.

The third Commandment written in Exodus 20:3-5 says “You must not have any other god but me.” “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.”

It is important for us to regularly stop and think about our priorities, and make sure we have God, and our duty to him at the top of the list.

Dear Lord, we all fail at times to keep you and your will in first place. Forgive us, and help us think about our priorities and get them right with you at the top of the list. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Most have heard the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32, where the Israelites built a calf made of gold, while Moses was away with God in the mountain. The people became impatient, and created their own God made of gold.

Exodus 32:1-4 says, “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.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 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.”

Where would they have obtained the gold? You may recall from Exodus 12:36, “The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!” God provided this wealth (gold) to them through the Egyptians.

There are many parallels we can draw between this story and modern times. Even though we do not call them gods, how different is it for people in today’s world to take the resources God gave them and create their own Gods in the forms of sports cars, homes, boats, cottages, sports, or other activities that become the object of their attention, time, and money. Rather than thank God for the circumstances that allowed them to have these things, they displace God with the things he provides.

Dear Lord, you provide all that we have and these blessings should be reason for us to worship, praise and thank you with our attention, time, and money. Help us recognize the blessings we have that they may reinforce our faith in you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I think we all can admit, that it feels good to be better than someone else at something. Better golfer, smarter, richer, in better shape, our child’s school is better, company is better; there are an unlimited number of ways we can find to try to compare ourselves to others in order to pump ourselves up. Though it is great to work hard and strive to make ourselves better, boasting about our advantages shows that our focus is in the wrong place.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, “This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things.”

There is only one thing we can rightly boast about and be proud in, and that is our Lord God.

Dear Lord, it is your awesome power that made everything we know, and all the while you care about each of us individually. Help us put our pride in you and be grateful that you called and loved each of us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

You probably know some people who always have a critique or fault to find with everyone, and everything. How we react to people like this is one of the challenges of life.

There isn’t much we can do to change people’s criticism, so we should just work on handling it well.

Proverbs 17:12 says, “A rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool.”

As difficult as it may be to listen to criticism (rebuke) we can work on trying to learn and improve from the critic’s input. I am always incredibly impressed by people who can take criticism, whether it is fair or not, and not be defensive, but acknowledge the critique, and use it to make themselves better.

We know that God routinely disciplines and refines us, and sometimes this may come through critiques from other people. It would be great if we could work on overcoming our defensiveness, and find the lesson in the critique.

Dear Lord, it is always difficult to be criticized or rebuked, but this may be one way you are working on us to make us better. Help us have the confidence in your support, to avoid our defensive reaction and be the discerning person who learns from our critics. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24

I have always read this text and thought about it in the big picture, how over the long term God is directing our steps, through our careers relationships and major parts of our lives, and I still believe this.

Recently, however, I have felt how this promise occurs in day to day life. Amidst those hectic times, trying to juggle work, chores, shuttling children around, business trips, sports, catechism, church, social events, and our finances, if we take time out to say a prayer, keep God’s will in the front of our mind, and not worry, things tend to orient themselves and work out.

I have noticed many times, things like unexpected traffic, a meeting that goes extra long, or household problem, get me way behind schedule, and would tend to be stressful and worrisome, then coincidentally the event I was racing to attend is postponed; or a business trip that frustratingly prevents me from attending a special function is coincidentally canceled.

We have to believe that God is involved in the daily events of our lives, in order to see it happen. The promise is for believers.

Dear Lord, thank you for your promise to lead us through life’s maze. Help us delight in you so that we can have the peace that trusting you provides. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.