God Will Supply ALL Our Needs
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Leviticus 5,6 and Psalm 81 (NIV)
(Irwin Seet, Steward, LCEC)
READ:
“I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”
Psalm 81 v10 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
In Psalm 81, I sense God’s frustration with the people of Israel. The chapter recounted the times when God rescued them in their distress and “removed the burden from their shoulders” and “their hands were set free from the basket”. In return, God warned them not to have or worship foreign gods. But the people of Israel did not listen to God. So, in verse 12, God “gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices”.
Our compassionate God lamented; if only the people of Israel listened and followed His ways, He would subdue their enemies, and turn His hand against their foes. In verse 16, God said if His people follow His decrees, He will satisfy them, and they will be fed with “the finest of wheat with honey from the rock”.
APPLY:
When I was younger, I devoured self-help books on management, finance, health, and leadership. I thought these books would give me the knowledge to navigate life. As I get older and become more mature in my faith, I am learning that whilst these books gave me knowledge, they do not provide me with wisdom that only the reading of God’s word can provide. Reading God’s word regularly and following His decrees fills me completely and meets my needs.
There are times when I am “stiff-necked” and rely on my own strength to solve issues. During those times, God allowed me my foolish pride and agenda. I am grateful that when I eventually realise the folly of my ways, He has always been gracious and faithful to rescue me when I call out to Him in my distress.
I am also reminded to always look out for idols in my life. While we may not worship foreign gods, we invariably have idols in our lives in the form of material things, our jobs, status or even our family and children. Idols are “any person or thing that consumes your thoughts, words, time, energy, or resources other than God.”
DO:
I will live a transformed life by continuing to:
-Read His Word daily,
-Turn to Him for all challenges and not rely on my own strength.
-Reflect if I have idols in my life that distract me from worshipping God.
-Ask the Holy Spirit for the strength and courage to cast out those idols in my life.
PRAY:
Dear heavenly Father, we thank You for showing us in these verses how to lead vibrant and joyous lives by always turning to You and not relying on our own wisdom. We know that You are a patient God who is long-suffering and will continue to love us despite our stubborn hearts. We pray that we will come to a realisation that only You can supply all our needs. You have instructed us to “open wide your mouth and I will fill it”. When we learn this, we can truly sing for joy to God, our strength! We pray that we will continue to turn to You and put our hope in You for we know You have plans to prosper us and not harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. All this we pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
