Pepperoni, fresh garlic, black olives. When I agreed to try my friend’s favorite pizza toppings, I had no idea they would smell so divine. The aroma prompted me to take two pieces. “It’s gonna be hot,” my friend said. Stupidly, I bypassed her warning and sunk my teeth into a steaming slice. You know what happened next. Lavalike cheese burned the top of my mouth, and the rest of the meal was spoiled because of my impatience.

Impatience ruined the Israelites’ harmony with God at a critical point in their history. Moses was conferring with God on Mount Sinai and was just about to present the people with the Ten Commandments. While he was gone, the Israelites grew restless. “When [they] saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. ‘Come on,’ they said, ‘make us some gods who can lead us’ ” (Exodus 32:1).

Stupidly, Aaron gave in to their mutiny. He gathered all of their gold jewelry, melted it, and sculpted a cow out of the precious metal. The people worshiped it; sacrificed animals in its honor; and celebrated with feasting, drinking, and pagan revelry (Exodus 32:6). Their impatience sparked God’s anger; He noted their corruption and said, “How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live!” (Exodus 32:7-8).

After experiencing God’s provision, power, and promises, the Israelites refused to respect His timing. We too can fall into this trap. We expect immediate answers and fast access to the things we crave. These expectations can bleed into our relationship with God. Instead of acting on our impatience, it’s better to honor His schedule.

Humbling ourselves, waiting, and remembering that God’s ways are far better than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), means we won’t get burned trying to satisfy our desires.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Philippians 3:1-21