DEVOTION - MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2012

DEVOTION –  MONDAY,  APRIL 16, 2012

“Aaron”

BY

PASTOR BOB COY

The people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us…” Exodus 32:1 (NKJV)

The children of Israel had escaped their enslavement in Egypt, and Moses proceeded to lead them through the wilderness towards the land God had promised them. But along the way, God called Moses to meet with Him atop Mount Sinai.

He left his brother Aaron in charge, and after several days, the people began to get restless. They started to question whether Moses was coming back, and they started pressuring Aaron to come up with a new god to guide them.

At one time or another, we’ve all experienced something like this. We’re in a position where people want us to do something, something we know deep down isn’t right. But the pressure mounts, the demands increase, and we reach a place of just wanting to make them happy. We become people pleasers at the expense of pleasing God.

That’s exactly what Aaron did. The Bible tells us that he caved into the demands for a new god. He gathered all their gold jewelry and created a calf similar to the idols that were worshipped back in Egypt (Exodus 32:2-5).

In the end, God forgave Aaron and Israel for doing this, but it came at a cost. So much so that when we hear Aaron’s name mentioned, it’s usually connected to this unfortunate episode.

It’s always a mistake to please people at the expense of pleasing God. If there’s a situation or scenario that requires us to do one or the other, no matter how difficult it may seem at the time, pleasing God is always the right choice. Otherwise, we’ll wind up paying a price in the end, even as Aaron did.

When you sense people pressuring you to please them, stop and seek the Lord. Ask Him what He wants, and then do it with a clear conscience.