May We Not Speak Against God

Week 5- Day 6

As Psalm 78 continues, we see that the people of God forgot His deeds and His miracles which He had shown them (this should not have been: see Deut. 4:9,10).  He wrought wonders, divided the sea and caused them to pass through, made the waters stand up like a heap, led them with the cloud by day and all the night with a light of fire, split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths (Ps. 78:12-16), yet they forgot.

  Had all the extraordinary become so ordinary for them?  They had seen the miracles, as have we.  They heard the stories, as do we.  

     Yet, it says, they still continued to sin against Him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert. And in their heart they put God to the test by asking food according to their desire. 

Then they (verse 19) spoke against God;  They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, and streams were overflowing; can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people? Therefore the Lord heard and was full of wrath; and a fire was kindled against Jacob and anger against Israel, because they did not believe in God and did not trust in His salvation (V.20-22)."

      Scripture says that they "spoke against God", something we certainly would NEVER want to do, and how do we see that they did that exactly? By asking, even in the midst of rehearsing what He had done before, "Can God......?".

We do this, don't we? He is doing extraordinary things, and we've seen it.  We've tasted and seen and beheld His power and His glory, because His lovingkindness is better than life, our lips praise Him (Ps 63:2,3), YET we doubt He can provide for 'this', can take care of 'this' (whatever today's 'this' is- and the 'this' can be a new thing every morning sometimes, can't it?).  

"This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope.  The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  'The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul. 'Therefore I have hope in Him.'" Lamentations 3:22-24

      In those moments of doubt, may we lay down all our 'Can God?'s at the foot of the cross to die, lift our eyes 'from' the present troubling 'impossibility', and fix our eyes upon Him: the God with Whom nothing is too difficult. (Hebrews 12:2, Jer. 32:17, Matt. 19:26)

May we not speak against Him, asking 'can He?'.  Oh may we, instead, allow Him to implant the big dreams and the promises of His Word and pray and trust Him with the 'impossible' fulfillment, because His power is NOT limited.  

-What are you presently, knowingly or unknowing, speaking against God saying, "Can God…..?"

 -Are you currently feeling hopeless about some area of life?

“Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You….” Jeremiah 32:17

(This is part of a 6 week prayer strategy series. To return to 'watch the ramparts' homepage: click here)