October 12: Exodus 32:1-6
 
Key Verse: Exodus 32:2
Aaron answered them, ‘Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.’
 
Devotion:
How long does it take for you to forget about the things God has done for you? No, it’s not an unfair question... it is a real question which is designed to stop and make you think! Often, we get carried away with the things of this world and leave God behind for a season; we switch off to the things we should be remembering and focus on the here and now so we can get through the day!
 
Just because something is starting to get hard to handle or manage, does not mean we should put it to one side and continue with something a bit easier to handle. God has warned us enough time about the road to Heaven being narrow and steep. When was the last time you tried to climb a mountain... I bet it was a narrow path which you could take, and it got steeper as you got closer to the top!
 
God knows we will face hardships during our walk with Him, but they will be nothing compared to what Christ had to go through for our sakes. God is going to be by your side every step of the way. If you turn and look the other way, you will not see God standing right next to you; instead you will focus on all the hard things facing you and grow weak and weary.
 
The Israelites took their focus off what God had done for them and looked back at the things they got up to which made it easier for them to handle. Instead of waiting out for Moses, Aaron took to their old ways and lost focus on God. What happened to the people – they all lost a lot of gold as it was placed in a pile and melted down to form a golden calf. When we lose focus on God, we lose focus on many of the things in life we have and often end up in a very bad place, both spiritually and physically!
 
Points to Ponder:
Do you always take God with you?
 
Are you focusing too much on the world around you?