Reflections
Psalm 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9 (Read)
"Oh that today you would hear His voice."
Knowing God's will is hard enough;
discernment is a gift from God.
But even if we are gifted enough to
be able to discern God 's will,
can we have the courage and conviction
to actually do His will? Today more than
ever we need to hear His voice. As God the
Father said, “This is my beloved Son
with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”
In the Gospel, Jesus instructs the disciples
how to do all they have been commanded.
As followers of Jesus, we too are to do all
that we are obliged to do.
Doing the will of God must have been
difficult even for the disciples, hand picked
by our Lord himself. How much more so is
the will of God a challenge for ordinary
persons like us? Even the disciples must
have been in awe of what Jesus was
commanding them to do.
“Harden not your hearts.”
Our spiritual history is full of occasions
where the faithful were known to have
hardened their hearts and refused to listen
to God's voice, though they had seen
His works, as our psalmist mentions.
But after all, He is our God, as the psalm says,
and we are the people he shepherds.
Our job is to kneel before the Lord who
made us and to carry out His will the best
we can. And if we are careful to listen
to His voice, He will empower us to do
His will, just as Jesus empowered the
disciples to rise up to the challenge of
the Great Commission and to become
ordinary men performing extraordinary
deeds.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist encourages us not to harden our hearts
when we hear God's voice. Do you find it difficult sometimes
to carry out God's will in your life even if you believe
He is speaking to you? Give an example.
2. The psalm reminds us that we are like sheep and the Lord is
our shepherd. Are you willing to be just an ordinary sheep among
His flock? If so, what does it mean to you to be shepherded
by the Lord?
The Psalm clearly tells us we are NOT to harden our hearts. Verses 7 through 9 say,
ReplyDelete“...Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.” Meribah and Massah refer to an incident when the Israelites complained to Moses because they had no water.
Let’s keep in mind that the Israelites had already seen Almighty God save them from the plagues against Egypt, part the Red Sea for them to cross, give them fresh manna everyday from the heavens, and endless other miracles for their safety and well-being.
I am not pointing a finger at their lack of faith. Rather, I am commiserating. How many times in my own life has the Lord given peace, grace, mercy, and wisdom in a situation for me... divinely rescued or provided for me? And today, in the face of yet more challenging circumstances, I waver.
Both of my children are in college now and each faces their own triumphs and trials daily. I used to think that once they were no longer living at home, the majority of my parenting was done. I am finding that my parenting skills (along with my faith) are tested now more than ever. Wasn’t it God who led my children to their respective colleges? Shouldn’t their lives be easier now? Why do they need me to calm them down, or offer reassurance, or cheer them up so very often? Why has the Lord (seemingly) withheld His blessings and made their adjustments so difficult?
I do hear from God during these times of pleading in prayer; but the answer is to TRUST Him and to WAIT. In an instant, I want to harden my heart despite God’s answer; I can point to all the others around me who appear exceedingly happy in this season of life. In another instant, I can breathe deeply and recognize His hand on my life and my children's lives all along.
It is STILL a matter of time to see in what direction the Lord leads my children. And it is STILL the Lord speaking to me saying, “Just you wait...” and “Trust me, as I have taken care of you and your family before...”.
It is good for me to see that my struggle is not new to God; throughout salvation history, humankind has been told to slow down, be still, and trust in the Lord. Psalm 95 is actually an invitation to worship the Lord. So... I must turn my focus from my troubles and toward praising Him.