WHO IS YOUR "GOD"?

[Pastor Bayo Afolaranmi]

Dearly Beloved,

WHO IS YOUR "GOD"?

"When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, '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'" (Exodus 32:1 NIV).

"As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him" (2 Chronicles 13:10 NIV).

The nation of Israel that Moses led out of bondage in Egypt was stubborn. Their stubbornness against God's plan started to manifest the day Pharaoh increased their burden for asking for "a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices the LORD" (see Exodus 5). However, their statement in Exodus 32:1 indicates that Moses had become their god. When Moses stayed with the LORD on their behalf and they did not see him, they wanted another "god" that would continue to lead them in their journey.

Was Moses really the person that led them out of Egypt or he was just an instrument in the hands of God, the real Deliverer? Was it necessary for the people of Israel to see Moses before they could proceed in their journey to the Promise Land? Should they have any visible "god" that would lead them to their destination?

Many at times we also think and behave like the Israelites. We worship a particular person or thing. Knowingly or unknowingly, we idolize such person or thing. Any attempt to lose the person or thing, we would also lose hope and try to find alternative in another person or thing.

To some people, pastors and other leaders are "gods." When the pastors or the leaders are in sight, such people would be active in the church activities and in their spiritual lives. Reverse would be the case when the pastor or the leader is not.

Who or what is your "god"? In who or what do you put your hope? The writer of the book of Hebrews admonishes, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith?" (12:2 NIV). Fixing your eyes on any other person or thing will land you in the same syndrome as the people of Israel. Let the LORD God be your God. Trust only in Him. He will not let you down.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7 NIV).

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

NB

This message was first sent out on February 29, 2004.