OPEN WIDE
PSALMS - DAY 1
My mind was filled with the many tasks I had to complete before the end of the day. As I “thought ahead” about how I would accomplish all that was required, I somehow managed to mentally disengage from my present circumstances. At that exact moment, I was sitting in a dental chair having my routine cleaning, but my thoughts lingered elsewhere. More than once, the hygienist had to grab my attention with the simple request: “Open wide, please.”
The Psalmist echoes back to Exodus 20:2-3 here where God had first communicated His commandments to Moses. He reigns as God Almighty, the Redeemer who delivered the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt and who saves us from the ravages of sin. I John 5:3 tells us, “. . .this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.”
When we “open wide” our lives to the Lord, we invite Him to enter into our lives and do the work of redemption. But sometimes, we end up “highly distracted” by “all the things,” and He needs to wake us up and remind us that He alone is worthy of our worship. The Lord wants us to “listen” to His voice because He loves us and knows what we need.
The children of Israel ended up wandering in a wilderness for 40 years because they gave way to idolatry and unbelief. Instead of giving God glory for rescuing them and providing everything they needed, they gave way to doubt and grumbled about what they felt they lacked. Instead of “hearing” the voice of the Lord and “heeding” His commands, they ended up struggling to solve their problems in their own strength and wandered around in a continual cycle of defeat.
Ugh. When we fail to look to the Lord and open up our lives to His leading, we end up frustrated, and life seems so futile. How do we fix it?
The key is right here in Psalm 81. Listen to the Lord. Surrender to His way and follow Him. Open wide your heart, soul, and mind to worship Him alone.
When we open wide our lives to God, He promises to fill our lives with good things.