We read Psalm 106 this morning at family worship.
(In God's providence, we will have Psalm 107 tomorrow - Thanksgiving - which begins, 'O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.')
But back to this morning:
Psalm 106 begins by telling us how God dealt with the children of Israel, and how they were wondrously and miraculously saved from Egypt. Having been taken through the Red Sea, and having seen their enemies destroyed,
'...they sang His praise'. (v12)
It's looking so hopeful. But only for one verse.
Just one verse!
We then read,
They soon forgot His works; they waited not for His counsel; (v13)
Is your first reaction, 'I would never have acted like that'? Well, I'm not so sure we don't. Doesn't God deliver us time and time again - be it from danger, from sin, or from trials..... and time and time again, we praise Him for a time ... and soon forget our deliverance.
Very quickly, we are back to our moaning and complaining ways.
Very quickly we forget all He has done for us, and we take our blessings for granted.
Very quickly, we begin worrying again, despite His promises and His provision for us in the past.
We really aren't that different to the children of Israel after all, are we?
God provided salvation for them. Salvation!
They were redeemed by His mighty acts. Redemption!
Released from bondage. Liberty!
Surely, their praise would last forever! How could they ever forget God's goodness to them?
But, we are told, they:
'lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert'. (v14)
However, the next verse is the one that made me stop and take notice.
This is what God did in answer to their lusting and their complaining and their lack of thanksgiving.
And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. (v15)
Is this what God has given us? We lack for nothing. Our cupboards are full to overflowing. But are our souls lean?
And let us answer this honestly: what deprivations would we be willing to suffer to have our souls full?
I need to ask myself this question. And I need to search my soul and be honest in my answer.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thank you for giving us much to think about as we go about our daily chores.
ReplyDeleteA difficult and searching question...
ReplyDeleteSuch heart cleansing message. Amen! This was just what I needed to hear! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I need your words to take me though God's word. Wish I was there everyday, if only for that short time! God bless you, your family & your friends on this, our Thanksgiving holiday, here in the States. Among other things, I'm thankful I found your blog.
ReplyDeleteA very excellent question, and post.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this, and for making me stop and ponder this truth, for myself.
Thanks for visiting today. Yes, my old blog for sure. The question you pose at the end of this entry is DEEP. Truly, what deprivation IS necessary? Oh my.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Toni
p.s. have a wonderful day!
It was a real 'sharp intake of breath' moment when I read that verse today. I couldn't but think of the many incidents we know of on this island in the past....times of real hardship and poverty, but times of amazing blessing for the people of God. I really struggle to answer that last question for myself...at least honestly. We are spoilt, I think. Thank you all x
ReplyDeleteWhat a thought to ponder today as we here in America thing of all God has blessed us with. Leanness of the soul. What a frightening place to be in for sure. Yes, I think we are spoiled. We have become comfortable. We forget the scriptures that say "take up your cross and follow me," and "die to the flesh daily." We would rather focus on the blessings than the responsibility. God help us lest we forget. Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteIt's true! We are like the children of Israel. We take SO much for granted!
ReplyDelete- Katie
x
Truly a heart searching post. So true, we are much like the Israelites. How about the times the Lord is watching over us and we don't even realize it. We get home from a drive and there was a terrible accident on the road we just traveled. Things like that. We truly lack for nothing, but to be more full of HIM! ~ to take up our cross. Thanks, Anne.
ReplyDelete