The Bible is composed of 66 individual books. One of those books is the book of Psalms, located right in the middle of a traditional Bible, in between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The book of Psalms is a collection of songs and prayers written by prophets, priests and kings who lived during the time of the Old Testament. Though every word in every book of the Bible was inspired (breathed) by God, the book of Psalms is unique in that it captures words God's people used to express their thoughts and feelings to God. God does not directly address His people in the book of Psalms. Instead, God's people speak to God about their pain and heartache, their joys and celebrations, their anger and frustration, fear and guilt . . . the same emotions you and I face today. If you find yourself at a loss for words to express your feelings, the book of Psalms will provide you with a script.
What do modern-day believers "remember" about God at this point in Psalm 105? That though trouble may come--indeed, sometimes God Himself sends or at least allows the trouble--God will also provide a way through for His people. Any "trouble" God sends or allows He will ultimately use for the fulfillment of His greater purpose in this world (see also Romans 8:28).
But there's more . . .
The latter half of Psalm 105 reminds God's people that when God caused His people to journey to Egypt (originally for grain but they would remain as foreigners in Egypt for 400 years), He (yes, God) caused the hearts of the Egyptians to hate His People. Again we question, why, oh WHY would God turn the hearts of people against that of His own people? Exodus 14:4 explains, "And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display My glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD!” If Pharaoh had been kind to God's people, or if Pharaoh had allowed God's people to leave Egypt when they asked, God's people (and the Egyptians for that matter) would have missed seeing God at work. Instead, BECAUSE of Pharaoh's hard heart (he hardened his own heart a few times too, see Exodus 8:15, 32), God was able to perform signs and wonders; signs and wonders that the psalmist reminds us of in verses 27-41.
The end result?
Psalm 105 ends with the reminder that though God's people suffered greatly, God kept His promise. God delivered His people, not necessarily OUT of suffering but THROUGH suffering, to the land He had promised. God gave His people a place they could live "that they might keep His precepts and observe His laws" (v45).
From beginning to end, the Bible tells the same story. If you are reading this, God has chosen you to know Him, just as He chose men named Abraham and Isaac and Jacob (and women too). God allows suffering in the lives of His people, but He always provides a way through. God has promised us--New Testament believers--not a physical place but a place where our hearts can live peacefully in His presence by believing what God has said about our sin condition (it's bad) and by accepting Jesus' death on the cross in place of our own. Once we are reconciled to God by faith, we too will want to keep His precepts and observe His laws because we know they are good.
Why study God's Word? Because we all, now more than ever, need to remember all He has done and all He promises to still do.
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I am a stay-at-home, homeschooling, Bible-teaching mom of six, and wife to my college sweetheart. I believe everyone can live a life of abundance through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and radical obedience to His Word.
Do you have a relationship with God through Christ? If not, I would consider it pure joy to tell you about God, why you need Him, and how to be reconciled to Him through Christ.
If you know Christ as your Savior, do you know how to follow Him as Lord? If, like me, life's challenges have caused you to question whether you truly want to follow God's plan for you, or you simply don't know how to recognize God's ways due to a lack of biblical literacy, I would love to teach you what I've come to know about God through His Word.
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Visit the following link to read or search through Jenny's posts dating prior to August 2014. www.jennyhander.blogspot.com