Change Your Mind
I thought that if we were to try to build a house it would end up looking more like Old Mother Hubbard’s house rather than that Taj Mahal!
Reference: v. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ (TNIV Bible)
Explore: “We will NEVER build a house from scratch.” I made this statement many times over the space of a couple of years. The idea of building a house from plans to reality scared the living daylights out of me.
My husband and I are far from being interior or exterior designers, but I have some inclination of how many decisions one would have to make to build a house. I thought that if we were to try to build a house it would end up looking more like Old Mother Hubbard’s house than the Taj Mahal!
And yet, here I sit typing away in the house that we built over two years ago. It’s liveable, practical, stable and not the eyesore I thought it would be. It’s amazing how easily our minds can be changed.
Application: Deciding to build a house was a significant change, but it did not go against my moral or religious values. The Israelites, on the other hand, were not so wise in the changes they made.
In chapter 24 we hear the Israelites repeatedly say, ‘Everything the Lord has said we will do,’ and yet by the time Moses has come down the mountain they have created a new god. How quickly our minds change.
Change is not always bad, but it is important that we don’t change the basis of what we believe easily or purely on emotions. If we are feeling prompted to change, then let us come before God and gather wise people around us, to guide us through the change journey.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being our consistent God. May we be open to change, but take steps towards wisdom and to building a stronger relationship with you. Amen.
What are some changes that you can foresee in the future?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.