Psalm 68:19-20
“Praise be to the LORD, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.”
Reflection:
Once free from captivity in Egypt, the Israelites entered the wilderness. They didn’t have a copy of God’s action plan for what was next, nor did they know God’s timing – they were blind to what lay ahead. All they knew was that God had just rescued them and brought them into a spectacular freedom. Wow! But it wasn’t long until their very real and practical needs, like food, water and shelter, brought them into a bit of a panic and they started to question God’s care and concern for their wellbeing. Did God see them? Did God care for their basic needs? Or had He forgotten them after the glory of the Exodus rescue?
Skip forward 40 years in the story and we learn that not once did the Israelites go without food, water, or protection. For all the time spent in the wilderness God brought daily provision for His people, even to the point that their shoes did not wear out in 40 years! God took care of their needs and had grace for the people’s expression of their anxious thoughts. He did not bring them into freedom only to abandon them. No, He rescued them and then cared for them in their daily needs, like a good Father to His children. This is who God is – a God who rescues on a grand scale, and a God who cares for the everyday needs of His people.
Prayer outline:
God, You are a good Father who reached out to rescue us and deliver us from an eternal death. Your love is so evident in sending Jesus. What a spectacular plan of salvation! But You are also God of the details and all the very real burdens in our daily lives. You care for us and You carry concern over our daily wellbeing. Please help our hearts to trust You – for both the big and for the small. Amen.