Psalm 81 - 10.23.24

Scripture

Psalm 81:8-10

Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—
    if you would only listen to me, Israel!
You shall have no foreign god among you;
    you shall not worship any god other than me.
 I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

Observation

God is calling us to remember the times He has intervened and answered our prayers and to understand that He, and only He, is our source.

Application

On Sunday, during Pastor Levi’s sermon, I was reminded of some of the times that God has intervened on my behalf when the problems seemed insurmountable. Taking the time to remember and thank Him for things He has done for us in the past builds our faith (and the faith of others when we share those stories!), strengthens our relationship with Him, and helps prepare us for trials that are yet to come. When we stop and remember how much He loves us and how He has already proved himself faithful, it is easier to remember to take our problems to Him and trust that He is in control.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

But in Psalm 81 God also tells us to remember that He must be our only God. We can’t be searching for other things to fill our needs or put other things before Him. Jobs and relationships and possessions don’t meet our needs. He is the source of all we need. He says “open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”

Prayer

Father, thank you for all the times you have answered my prayers and come to my rescue. Help me to daily remember your goodness and faithfulness. Forgive me for the times I try to solve things on my own or run to others instead of running to you. Help me to humble myself and remember that every good gift comes from you. Build my faith. You are my God and the source of all I need. Amen

- Debbie Dunn