10they did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his law.
11They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.
- P108
12He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
13He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand up like a wall.
14He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night.
- P108
15He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.
17But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.
- P109
20True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread? Can he supply meat for his people?"
21When the Lord heard them, he was furious; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel,
22for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance.
- P110
23Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens;
24
he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.
25
Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat.
- P110
26He let loose the east wind from the heavens and by his power made the south wind blow.
27He rained meat down on them like dust, birds like sand on the seashore.
28He made them come down inside their camp, all around their tents.
29They ate till they were gorged— he had given them what they craved.
- P111
30But before they turned from what they craved, even while the food was still in their mouths,
31God’s anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.
- P111
Today’s passage paints a sobering picture of spiritual amnesia and rebellion. The retreat of the Ephraimites despite being armed shows that we can possess spiritual resources yet fail to use them due to unbelief. - P112
The psalmist recounts Israel’s failure to remember God’s miraculous works—the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea—and His guidance through the wilderness. - P112
The Israelites’ forgetfulness mirrors our own tendency to doubt God’s goodness during challenging times despite His unfailing track record of faithfulness. - P112
When life gets tough, it is easy for us to begin questioning God’s presence or His love. Let us heed Scripture’s warnings against allowing our immediate circumstances to overshadow our memories of God’s past deliverances. - P112
Father, forgive me for the times I forget all the good You have done to me. - P112
Thank you for the requests I made that You granted and for those that You mercifully refused. Cultivate in me a heart of contentment and trust in Your plans. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P112
The psalmist recounts Israel‘s rebellion despite God‘s miracles. The Ephraimites faltered in battle because they forgot God‘s deeds, His guidance, andHis provision. They tested God by demanding the food they craved and byspeaking against Him. God provided but was angered by their unbelief, whichresulted in judgment. - P111
God responds to Israel‘s ingratitude and unbelief with both judgment anprovision. The Israelites‘ demand for meat was not a simple request ffood; they were testing God‘s goodness and wisdom. - P112
Despite their rebellioand irreverence, God provides abundantly. But this provision itself becomea form of judgment that causes death among the people. - P112
God sometimegives us what we wrongfully demand and lets us experience the consequences of our own unbelief. - P112
Sometimes He mercifully withholds what we ask forin order to protect us. But if we persist in our rebellion, He may allow us tohave what we want along with the pain it brings, so that we will realize thatwe don‘t know best; He does. - P112
God converses with us primarily through His words in Scripture.
We can also use His words to respond to Him.
Use the following guide to pray through this week‘s memory verse.
But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth. - Psalm 74:12 - P113
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