Reaction is everything

"When the people heard these 
distressing words, they began 
to mourn and no one put on 
any ornaments." Exodus 33:4

Who told them to worship the golden calf?" we might have asked if we had been there. "So, now let them face the consequences." This time the Israelites really seemed to have crossed the point of no return as far as God was concerned. God even said to Moses that He would destroy the people and then start a new nation out of him.

Moses' courageous intercession for the people was what saved the day - at least for a while. "Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people," he prayed. That was enough for the Lord to spare the people from destruction.

But being Lord of all past, present and future, God knew that the people's rebellion against Him was far from over. So He told Moses He would no longer go with the people as He might kill them on the way because of their stubbornness. "I will send an angel before you," He said. The Scriptures describe how the people received the news:

"When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments."

It's interesting how the people's reaction was so different from Moses'. After Moses pronounced God's judgment upon them, they began to cry and took off their ornaments. Now this is not the right way to react to a distressing situation. Instead, Moses began to complain with the Lord and refused to accept His verdict. He went to the point of telling God he would rather die in the desert than to go on without His Presence.

In the end, Moses got exactly what he asked for: "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you..." - said the Lord.

In other words, Moses, despite being the world's humblest man (see Numbers 12.3), reacted quickly and aggressively to God's decision to destroy the Israelites and to send an angel before them.

Sometimes this kind of reaction can make all the difference in life. Whether we are successful or defeated, take opportunities or lose them, get accepted or rejected - can all depend on reaction.

We can't always afford to think a situation over and over, or just let it be. Sometimes we need to react to it quickly firmly, and decisively.

There are many people in the church who are suffering from a terrible disease called passive faith. This disease makes their faith inactive, quiet, too patient - virtually worthless. The favorite expression of these sufferers is "I'm waiting on the Lord." They think they can just have faith in God and wait motionless for some lucky day when their situation will change. But it doesn't. Ever.

Such people never conquer or achieve anything, and usually they're the ones who are always complaining about their lives.

They have to realize that there is a time when we just have to say "Enough is enough!" There is a time when a man has to be a Man, and a woman must be a Woman, to make a decision about his or her life. Instead of mourning, thinking and asking questions, they should jump out of their inertia and actually USE their faith.

Dear friend, you cannot reap the fruit of your faith if you don't react strongly to the problems that are suffocating you. React quickly. React firmly.

React now. God will be pleased with you.

Quote:

"We can't always afford to think a situation over and over, or just let it be. Sometimes we need to react to it quickly firmly, and decisively."