Thursday, February 12, 2009

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10

I am the LORD your God - The first time we encounter the "I am" of the Bible is in Genesis, where He appears to Abram, and says, Don't be afraid, I am your shield. (Gen. 15:1). Notice that, first of all, He's the LORD. When capitalized this way, God's name is translated from the Hebrew to mean Jehovah, the self-existent or eternal One. Then the verse goes on to say He's "your God". We discover a theme that recurs throughout the Bible: God wants to be personal. He wants to be your God.

Who brought you out - a picture of deliverance. God is pictured many times in scripture as the One who brings us out, who delivers. I once went caving. There are several rules that apply to caving: you need to either know the cave well, or have a guide with you. Each person needs to carry an extra flashlight. If you go as a group of people, the group must not be large, and you must stay together. We had traveled fairly deep into the cave. When it was time to turn around, the group sat down and turned out all the flashlights. The darkness was enveloping! We sat there for several minutes, discussing what it would be like if we had to find our way out of the cave without a light. There were several who expressed fear, as they remembered the vertical tunnels we had encountered in the pathway on the way in. Then we turned our lights on, and our guide brought us out. Two things were apparent as we exited the cave: we were grateful for our guide, and it was a relief to see daylight again. God reminds us that He is our Deliverer, the One who brought us out.

of the land of Egypt - after more than 400 years of slavery, the descendants of Jacob, who would later become the nation of Israel, were delivered from the bondage of Egypt. The word "Egypt" was loathed! It was equated with everything that had stripped them of freedom. We, too, have had our "land of Egypt" experiences. But we don't have to remain enslaved.

Open your mouth wide - the picture is of someone being fed. Have you watched an infant being fed? Until they can handle a spoon well enough to nourish themselves, they are dependent on the one feeding them. All they need to do is open their mouth each time the spoon arrives. It demonstrates trust. This is our part.

And I will fill it - this is God's part. Notice that He fills the open mouth. I will not lack anything; I will have abundance! With what will He fill your mouth? With food. Whatever food you need, He will supply. He says, "I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me." (Rev. 3:20)

We've got to recognize who God is, and what He's done for us in delivering us from the slavery of sin. Once we do that, then we can trust Him, and He fills our mouths.

Today, are you content with just the aroma of food? Do you want only a taste of food? Or do you want a mouth full of food? God is waiting, spoon-in-hand.

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