Thursday, April 12, 2018

Our Focus and Our God: Daily Devotions for the Easter Season - Acts 7:23-43


Our Focus and Our God
Acts 7:23-43

Key Verse: “They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’ That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. (Acts 7:40-41a NIV)

Stephen is continuing his speech before the Sanhedrin, reminding them of the first time the Israelite turned from God to worship something else. The Jewish leaders, here, know the warning of history and would never do such a thing. But Stephen is letting them know that they indeed have. Anytime we look to to something of our own making, our careers, our reputation, our position, even our children or our spouse and make that the central focus of our lives, where we find meaning, that thing becomes what we worship. We are replacing with God with that thing. In a world that is continually drawing our attention and wanting our central attention to be on their thing, it is easier than ever to make golden calves, sometimes unknowingly. Our central focus is always to be on God, all the other things in our lives come after God. Whenever we find that the other things squish out God, that we have no time for the things God asks of us that is when we need to pause and check ourselves to see where we have created golden calves. It is a constant struggle and none of us are above it.

Prayer:
Lord God, I know this in my heart and in my head, but sometimes, my actions fall short of what I know. I find that instead of my focus being on you, my focus is on a myriad of other things which society encourages to be my focus. Help me to see when my eyes have shifted off of you and help me to once again find my center in you. You are my God and I desire to worship you and you alone in all things, help me make that desire a reality in my daily life. Amen


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