Daily Reading
Daily Thought
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done. ~Psalm 78:1-4
Psalm 78 steps back and reflects on God’s care for his people. The stories of God’s mighty work paint the big picture of life and should be told to our children, “so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments” (verse 7). Verse 13, God parted the sea so Israel could walk on dry land; verse 14, God led his people through the wilderness by cloud and fire; verses 15-16, God spilt rocks and water gushed out, quenching their thirst; verses 24-25, God rained manna for food, the bread of angels; verse 27, and quail; verses 42-53, God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt by, verse 44, turning Egypt’s river to blood, verse 45, sending swarms of flies and frogs, verse 46, destroying crops and cattle with locust, verse 47, and hail and frost, verse 51, and finally God struck down the firstborn, verse 52-53, and led the people to safety; verse 54, God established his people in a new land; verse 72, and cared for this new nation.
Still Israel thought life a game of chance, undecided yet if they should bet on God, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness? Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?” (Psalm 78:19-20). But life is not a game, it is a story, and not ours, but God’s, and we are players in his plot. It is not, then, for us to ponder what God will do in our story, but what we ought do in his.
Daily Prayer
Mighty God, there is no one like You. You alone are Almighty, You alone are Sovereign. Your will be done.
It is so hard to trust, to release my illusion of control and turn my life completely over to You. The greatest commandment, the greatest life-giving act I can do is to love You with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, all my strength. I know that You are God, that whatever You say will happen will happen. I know it. God help me trust in what I know.
Amen
Daily Question
What stories about God bring you the most hope in your own life?