3/17/2020 Tuesday

Psalm 81:6-10

“Now I will take the load from your shoulders;
    I will free your hands from their heavy tasks.
7 You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you;
    I answered out of the thundercloud
    and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah. Interlude
8 “Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings.
    O Israel, if you would only listen to me!
9 You must never have a foreign god;
    you must not bow down before a false god.
10 For it was I, the Lord your God,
    who rescued you from the land of Egypt.
    Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.”
 
God's saving the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt is one of the foundational stories for God's people. This event is discussed multiple times throughout the Psalms. In these verses, God is redeeming the people from the heavy weight on their shoulders. He liberates Israel’s hands from bondage. The proper response to his redemptive work is for the people to listen to God's warning not to worship any other gods. Why is this such a foundational instruction for the people? Because worshiping other gods is disrespectful to the actual God who saved them. 
We need to remember those high watermarks in our faith so that we do not forget from whom our help comes in times of trouble.
 
Make a short list of moments where God has come to your rescue in times of trouble? Put this list in your Bible or on your phone as a reminder that you can turn to when doubt creeps in about God's goodness in your life.