Today, we are looking at eight of the seventy-two verses from psalm 78, which is the second longest psalm next to psalm 119. Four of the verses are from the first half of the psalm and the next four verses are from the second half.
Israel’s past is presented within psalm 78 as a lesson for the present generation, and so the next generations to come will set their hope in God and not forget His glorious miracles for their ancestors and obey His commands (v. 7). The generations to come need to learn from Israel’s stubbornness, rebellion, unfaithfulness, and refusal to give their hearts to God (v. 8).
You and I can look back and clearly see how God rescued the Israelites, His people, from slavery in Egypt and how He led them safely through the wilderness. Miracle after miracle was being displayed for God’s people so He could lead them home. God remained faithful, even when His people lacked faith in Him.
God remains unchanged and faithful to you and me, His people. He wants us to be transformed by our salvation in Christ and to grow more and more faithful each day. Many times, you and I find ourselves within the wilderness, and as Pastor Mary explained during yesterday’s sermon, “each one of us will find ourselves suffering in some way for our commitment to Christ, because God is wanting to bring transformation of His glory through our suffering.” She went on to explain that some of us will receive the transformative work of God and others will not. I don’t know about you, but I want to be transformed by the Holy Spirit each day and for my heart to be growing more and more like Jesus’s heart. I pray all of the time that until God leads me Home, that my heart will never harden and that I will remain faithful to Jesus.
Psalm 78:17-20, 52-55 NLT
17 Yet they kept on sinning against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They stubbornly tested God in their hearts,
demanding the foods they craved.
19 They even spoke against God himself, saying,
“God can’t give us food in the wilderness.
20 Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out,
52 But he led his own people like a flock of sheep,
guiding them safely through the wilderness.
53 He kept them safe so they were not afraid;
but the sea covered their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this land of hills he had won for them.
55 He drove out the nations before them;
he gave them their inheritance by lot.
He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for remaining unchanged and faithful to me. Help me to grow in my faith each and everyday, and allow my heart to be more and more like Your heart. Please use all of my suffering to transform me so that you can use it for the good of Your Kingdom. I ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.