Who Is Going To Feed You?

“Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would only listen to me! You must never have a foreign god; you must not bow down before a false god. 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. [Psalm 81.8-10]

The interesting thing about this passage is the last part, "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things." Compare it to the following account of the Israelites' complaint only shortly after they left Egypt:

“If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” [Exodus 16.3]

Even back in their slavery, I repeat, even back in their slavery, Israel was not trusting God. Think of it this way, they saw their slavery as their provision. It only took a little difficulty to prove it.

One thing that is so common among people today is the feeling of being "trapped in the system." When presented however with the Biblical promises that God offers deliverance in return for faith in Him alone, they immediately defend their slavery and remain pawns to that system ("after all, I have to make a living.")

Jesus made some very specific demands upon those who would be His followers. The most significant of those was this:

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. [Luke 9.23]

If we can see it, our own way is slavery. Our own way is "the system." The system was designed by man and now man serves it. Why do you suppose that is? Because man becomes a slave to anything he trusts in! "The system" was designed as an idol (anything that promises, as an alternative, that which God has already promised). At a time of spiritual awareness in his life, Bob Dylan wrote a song, "Gotta Serve Somebody" that sums up the human condition. We will either serve our stuff (systems, titles, etc.) or we will serve God - but we are going to serve one or the other.

For those who claim to follow God, the onset of difficulty reveals whether our claims are real or not. Do we persist to see God do what He said He would do? Or, do we longingly look back at our slavery?

Ouch.

Father, help us to forsake all others so that we might be found trusting in You alone. May the good things in our mouths be only that which You have provided...