Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from Psalm 78:40-52. Asaph refers to the children of Israel when they were wandering in the wilderness. He says they provoked and grieved God in the desert. God even sent signs and wonders yet they turned their backs on Him and forgot how He delivered them from the enemy.
God turned the rivers into blood so they couldn’t drink the water. He sent plagues of flies and frogs to try to get their attention. God destroyed their crops with caterpillars and locust and cattle with hail and their sycamore trees with frost.
Their flocks were destroyed by lightning. God sent angels of evil among them. He smote the firstborn in Egypt and the heads of their tabernacles in the land of Ham because of their disobedience.
God tried to be patient with them and gave them every chance to get right with Him. But, they stirred up God’s anger, wrath, and indignation with their rebellious ways. Verse 52 tells us that God made His people go forth like a flock of sheep, as He led them in the wilderness.
We love to think of God as a loving God, and He is, but we don’t like to think of God as a just God, pouring His wrath out on those who disobey Him. This Scripture reminds us that God is both loving and just.
Daily Bible Reading:
Psalm 78:40-52
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:
44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
Things to think about:
- Can you imagine the turmoil the children of Israel went through because of their disobedience?
- In what ways were the children of Israel disobedient to God?
- What took the children of Israel so long to get the message?
- In what ways do we do the same thing?
Prayer of the Day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We pray as we read this Scripture that You would help us to see how the children of Israel stirred up Your anger against them; please help us to be obedient. Forgive us of the times we fail You. Thank You for Your son, Jesus Christ, who died and was resurrected to cover our sins. Help those who haven’t yet accepted Jesus as their Savior to receive Him into their lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.