Live God Adventures

“Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. Sound the ran’s horn at the New Moon, and wen the moon is full, on the day of our Feast; this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. He established it as a statute for Joseph when he went out against Egypt, where we heard a language we did not understand. He says, “I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Merihab. “Hear, O my people, and I will warn you – if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brough you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. “If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Psalm 81 NIV

Today I found myself reading this Psalm and being so challenged and encouraged by it. Challenged in that I need to live and walk in trust and obedience every day. Encouraged that He is for me and will provide all that I need, all He asks is that I trust and obey Him.

If we will only listen and obey He will provide all that we need.

This Psalm recounts the way God saved Israel from the Egyptians then tested them at Meribah. He told them not to have any gods before Him yet what did they do? Built a golden calf because they needed something they could see. God decided to “give them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices” (verse 12). I like the way the Passion Translation says it, “For they were living according to their own selfish fantasies.” This made me think about the times that I’ve let sin or pride or some kind of “idol” reign in my life above my relationship with the Lord. Can you think of something like that in your own life? Maybe anxiety, fear, worry, doubt, planning the future, a hidden sin, and Idol is anything that takes the place of God in your life. Is there something that you put before Him? Has it become a “selfish fantasy”? Or is that only me…? Am I think only person who’s ever struggled?

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” Psalm 81:10NIV

Has the Lord ever brought you up out of something? Have you ever called out to Him and He responded? He has commanded us to have no other Gods before HIm. We are to walk in trust and obedience to Him in every moment of every day. Are we able to live that out? In a series on Trust in November I discussed the thought that we are so accustom to our culture of worry and fear and anxiety and doubt as our first response that we don’t walk out our trust in the Lord. Do we know how to walk out our trust in the Lord?

“But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.” Psalm 81:11-12 NIV (“Own devices in TPT is “Selfish fantasies”)

He has brought us out, He has saved us before, He has been with us, we have heard testimony and seen His faithfulness. But… But they wouldn’t listen, Israel would not submit. Will we? Will we surrender? Will we walk in surrender and live out our trust in Him in our day-to-day life? Israel didn’t and they decided to serve other gods, so He gave them over to follow these selfish desires. I know what that looks like. There was a time in my life that I chose to go my own way, that I chose to let selfish desires rule and reign in my life. God felt so distant, so far away. He didn’t move, I did. I was doing what I wanted, living how I wanted, yet I felt the most depressed, the most anxious, the most down, the most out of control, that I’ve ever felt. Why? Because I was created to worship the Living God. We are to walk in surrender and obedience and trust to Him. That is where we will find freedom.

Obedience – deliverance – freedom

“If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!” Psalm 81:13-14 NIV

If… Conditional. If* we listen, If* we follow His ways, Then… Then He would quickly subdue our enemies. What enemy are you facing? What struggle are you going through? What idol have you placed between you and the Lord that seems to be crashing in on you? Stop and think, evaluate all that’s going on in your life. Will you surrender to Him? Will you trust Him with whatever issue that idol stems from? Will you walk in obedience to Him?

“Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Psalm 81:15-16NIV

“But you would* be”… IF you obey. I like to highlight, circle, underline, quote, and so much more in my Bible. It creates such an emphasis on things for me making them more personal. I’m going to include a picture of this portion of scripture in my Bible.

Trust & obedience = deliverance & freedom

“For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.” Deuteronomy 30:16

We have been commissioned with the task of walking in obedience and trust of a faithful God who is for us and with us always. When you say it like that it sounds simple right? But as we know, it doesn’t always feel simple. However, just like anything else, the more we do it, the more familiar we become. As you walk out your faith and obedience one day you will.