What is God doing when you feel alone, abandoned and afraid?
Moses was called to the presence of God (Exodus 32). The leader leaves the community. Yes, to meet with the Lord (leaders must lead from His Presence not from their own wisdom). The Lord was speaking with Moses, working with him. But… He was also working in those left behind.
Our being left, our sense of being abandoned and alone, is often a gift. Those moments call out our fears, our insecurities. What we do in those moments, when we are leaderless, rudderless, alone and afraid (the people were in no man’s land caught between the destination of the Promised Land and Egypt where they had just been delivered) is revealing. Where do you turn when you feel abandoned (“We don’t know what happened to Moses”)? Where do you look for security? What “idols” could the Lord be surfacing in your life that you might need to pull down?
The Lord was at work in Moses up on the mountain. While He was at work with Moses on the future, He was also at work in the people unpacking their security questions. Moses was a man. He was the appointed leader. Appointed. The Lord was leading. The Lord was the one guiding every step. For the future, the people would have to see past Moses to the Lord as their leader.
When we are alone, abandoned, full of fear, these are all moments of insight into our own souls… and opportunities for real spiritual formation. As one author said, “We don’t like the pit very much, but it is often our catalyst for growth and insight.”