Psalm 78:1-25 (KJV): Marvellous things did He...

From Psalms

Psalm 78
(A maskil of Asaph.)

¹Give ear, O my people, to my law:
      incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
²I will open my mouth in a parable:
      I will utter dark sayings of old:
³Which we have heard and known,
      and our fathers have told us.
⁴We will not hide them from their children,
      shewing to the generation to come
the praises of the LORD, and his strength,
      and his wonderful works that he hath done.
⁵For he established a testimony in Jacob,
      and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers,
      that they should make them known to their children:
⁶That the generation to come might know them,
      even the children which should be born;
      who should arise and declare them to their children:
⁷That they might set their hope in God,
      and not forget the works of God,
      but keep his commandments:
⁸And might not be as their fathers,
      a stubborn and rebellious generation;
a generation that set not their heart aright,
      and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

⁹The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows,
      turned back in the day of battle.
¹⁰They kept not the covenant of God,
      and refused to walk in his law;
¹¹And forgat his works,
      and his wonders that he had shewed them.
¹²Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers,
      in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
¹³He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through;
      and he made the waters to stand as an heap.
¹⁴In the daytime also he led them with a cloud,
      and all the night with a light of fire.
¹⁵He clave the rocks in the wilderness,
      and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
¹⁶He brought streams also out of the rock,
      and caused waters to run down like rivers.

¹⁷And they sinned yet more against him
      by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
¹⁸And they tempted God in their heart
      by asking meat for their lust.
¹⁹Yea, they spake against God;
      they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
²⁰Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out,
      and the streams overflowed;
can he give bread also?
      can he provide flesh for his people?
²¹Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth:
      so a fire was kindled against Jacob,
      and anger also came up against Israel;
²²Because they believed not in God,
      and trusted not in his salvation:
²³Though he had commanded the clouds from above,
      and opened the doors of heaven,
²⁴And had rained down manna upon them to eat,
      and had given them of the corn of heaven.
²⁵Man did eat angels' food:
      he sent them meat to the full.

God does marvellous things.  He provides miracles everyday.  He sobers alcoholics.  He restores friendships and marriages.  Things that we as mere humans believe are impossible.  It's even bigger than this though...as Psalm 78 points out in verses 1-16.  He saved the Isrealites from the Egyptions by parting the Red Sea.

But alas, we are selfish.  We take these gifts, and all of Gods gifts for granted.  We go to church on Sundays in hopes that He bless us.  In hopes that he cures us.  We do it for our own personal gain.  This is our history, as verses 17-25 demonstrate.  He gives us miracles, and more miracles, and still we ask for more.  Not only that we speak against Him and His word.

Instead we need to bless God and praise God.  We need to ask God how can we serve Him.  Ask him to take away our will and ask for His will be done.  On earth as it is in heaven.

Why is this important?  Because healing and recovery from addiction comes from losing ourselves.  We are forced to hit bottom to learn that He is the path to sobriety.  Then on the path of recovery, to sobriety, we learn that life is not about us.  Life is much bigger than us.  Life is about loving people, loving God, and reflecting the love of God.  We give up what we have believed previously.  We no longer rely on money for security like we used to.  We know now that "highs" of this world, of drugs, sex, alcohol, and consumerism are empty and lead only to loss and disappointment.  Instead now we replace these things with a faith in God and showing His love.  We do our best to appreciate God's gifts and praise him daily for all His gifts, big and small.

Thanks for letting me share.