Day 23
Read Psalm 95
The book of Exodus describes God’s rescue of Israel from slavery in Egypt to freedom. The first fifteen chapters of Exodus describe this event. In the sixteenth chapter, only two months after their miraculous rescue from Egypt, the people complain. They have no food. God provides them with Manna. In the seventeenth chapter the people complain again. They have no water. God provides them with water out of a rock. Moses names the place where God provided the water “Massah” and “Meribah” which in Hebrew mean “testing” and “quarreling” respectively.
For fifteen chapters God demonstrates to Israel His control over nature, over foreign governments, even over life itself. Then in the first two opportunities to demonstrate faith, they fail miserably. They fail to link God with their everyday lives. They failed to see that the God who rescued them so dramatically from slavery could also provide them with food and water.
Psalm 95 is a psalm intended to help us link God with the everyday realities of life. It begins, in much the same way that the book of Exodus does, with a description of what the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins calls the “grandeur of God.” Verses 3-5 demonstrate God’s control over kingdoms and creations – kings, mountains, the oceans, and dry lands all belong to Him.
In verse 6-7 the Psalmist changes direction. He says, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under his care.”
This God who is in control of governments and galaxies is also concerned about us, as a shepherd is concerned for his sheep. Then, he says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah and Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.” In other words, the Psalmist wants to make sure that we don’t miss the connection that Israel missed in Exodus chapter 17. He wants to make sure that we see that the God who created the mountains and oceans and deserts, can also see us through a difficult day, help us reconcile with a colleague at work, or comfort an ailing parent.
Prayer
Ask God to help you trust Him in the decisions you need to make today and this week.
Ask Him to remind you that He cares for you like a shepherd cares for His sheep.
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