The Wisdom of Advent – Learning to Wait
Week 1: Hope
The story of the golden calf (Exodus 32) provides a cautionary example of what might happen if we don’t have faith while we wait. As they waited in the desert, the Israelites lost faith in the God who had saved them from Egypt and in what Moses had taught them. In their fear and doubt, they returned to their old religious practices by creating a golden idol to worship. This came just days after Moses taught them that God had forbidden this practice.
The Israelites were fearful and uncertain, and in desperation, they tried to return to what had previously worked for them. Even after their dramatic rescue from the pursuing Egyptian forces, waiting was difficult because they couldn’t see ongoing proof of God’s presence.
Often we, too, can’t see what God is doing for us and doubt that He is at work in our lives. Advent is our annual reminder that God has come, is here continuing to work in our lives, and will come again.
- Have you been tempted to escape the uncertainty of waiting by returning to what you have already left behind?
Falling Up After 50 