So, it all came down to a lack of patience. Aaron and the Israelites struggled with their lack of a leader. Moses disappeared for only 40 days, but that was too long for them to bear. Instead of patiently waiting for his return, they moved to take some sort of action. It was their lack of patience that led the Israelites to create the golden figure. They rebelled against the God that saved them from Egypt and instead tried to re-create the sacred cows of the Nile.

We need to wait for God to lead us. Sometimes the answers don't come when we expect them. Sometimes, the answers may not be what we want to hear, but the direction is still there.

Often, instead of listening to the direction God gives us, we decide to do our own thing on our own timeline. We choose to take an action that we know is against His will. But when we do, we need to take responsibility for our own actions.

If we're not at fault for our own actions, we don't have to repent and change our ways. We may feel that we won't be held accountable for something that 'just happened.' Aaron used this defense. He failed to take responsibility for his own actions and instead blamed it on the rest of the Israelites. It wasn't me! Don't blame me; blame them! It's not my fault!

An unrepentant heart is not a forgiven heart. Only by being truly sorry for our mistakes, and making every attempt to change our lives, are we forgiven from our trespasses. --USK