A call to be faithful to God

READ: Isaiah 37,38; Psalms 81; 2 Corinthians 9

SCRIPTURE: Psalms 81: 8 Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

OBSERVATION: In Sunday worships, Christian gatherings, and personal prayers, we remember God’s faithfulness in our lives and ask God to bless us continually. Remembering God’s saving acts gives us hope for our future, regardless of our present situation. Psalm 81, a festival psalm, particularly tells us about three things: What God has done to Israelites in the past, God’s call for a fresh commitment, and God’s promise of what he would do to Israelites when they listen to him. In the history of Israel, we can see the repeated occurrence of Israelites disobedience and disloyalty to God, their idol worship, God’s punishment and oppression from enemies, Israelites prayer for rescue, and God’s deliverance. Here, verse 8 says of God’s displeasure concerning Israelites’ disobedience and his call for loyalty.

“The Shema” prayer encourages Israelites to love God and live for him (Deut.6:4-9). The first commandment of the Decalogue is against worshipping any other gods besides the Lord God of Israel (Exo.20:1-3). As God calls the Israelites to listen to him, he reminds them that “I am the Lord your God.” God’s people should never forget the God who saved them. We should not keep anything in place of God. Our worldly friendship, greed, and worldly desires indirectly would lead us away from the Lord and make us worship the prince of this world, Satan. When we listen to God and obey him, we can trust him for all our needs. The Bible says, “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Ps.34:10). As we open our mouths and ask God our needs, he fills us with his abundant blessings. In the last verses of Ps.81, we see God’s promise to his people. The God who promised us is faithful. When we listen to his words and obey him, he will quickly crush Satan under our feet. He will satisfy us with every blessing. Let us remember: the times we remember God’s faithfulness are the times we recommit ourselves to God to listen to him with a sincere heart of obedience.  We should not do it to receive the blessings of God. For, he alone is the Lord our God, none like him.

APPLICATION: I will listen to God always and obey him faithfully. His grace is sufficient for me. I have all that I need. My god saves me and satisfies me with His blessings. I need nothing besides him. I will love him and live for him.

PRAYER: My Saviour God, thank you for your faithfulness in answering all our prayers. Lord, open my eyes to see the truth in your word, open my ears to listen to you, open my mouth to praise you. Holy Spirit, guide me be faithful to God today and forever. Amen.

- Arputharaj Samuel
+91 9538328573

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