When God Blinks

I can imagine the Lord’s frustration. While He was giving Moses the Law, the people were trying to replace Him with a golden calf. He was pouring His intentions into Moses’ life, those matters that would most benefit the people, and they were dancing at the altar of self-approval.

In His anger He told Moses to go ahead and lead the people the rest of the way without Him. That’s something I would have done. I’d have reached my limit and written them off. If they don’t want me, why should I want them?

But God’s words were not His intentions, only a test. Moses said, “If you don’t go with us, we’re not going. Without You we have no identity, no purpose, no reason to move. Without You we’re just people. You make us unique.”

Moses didn’t cause God to rethink His position. The threat of God’s absence was enough for Moses to realize how empty life would be if that were to happen. God merely blinked and during that blink, Moses saw the reality that his life held no meaning without God’s favor. Existing was not enough.

God often blinks in our lives to give us moments of desperation—periods of darkness where we grope about seeking answers. Go ahead and call it a reality check. He does it as a test to point out our insensitivity to His presence. It’s a reminder we have lowered His importance in our lives. It is a hint at what life could be like if we remained in the darkness. And for most of us that hint is more than enough to get us looking up.

When God blinks, He expects us to look to Him, examine what we sensed when darkness came, and renew ourselves to trust Him more.

Learn this new mantra—if God blinks, think up!