Psalm 81:1,10-16


      1 Sing for joy to God our strength; 
         shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
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         10 I am the LORD your God, 
         who brought you up out of Egypt. 
         Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. 
      11 “But my people would not listen to me; 
         Israel would not submit to me. 
      12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts 
         to follow their own devices. 
      13 “If my people would only listen to me, 
         if Israel would only follow my ways, 
      14 how quickly I would subdue their enemies 
         and turn my hand against their foes! 
      15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, 
         and their punishment would last forever. 
      16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; 
         with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” 

Self-reliance in our world tends to be a badge of honor.  Rarely do we turn to others or even to God for help.  Yet here the Psalmist seems to compare reliance on God versus our own strength. God reveals Himself as a loving Father who actively desires to help, protect, and satisfy us. Yet when we insist on doing things our own way, God allows us, leaving us to experience the exhausting outcomes of self-reliance. His ways are infinitely better, designed not to restrict us, but to feed us with “honey from the rock”.

Three Anchors for Your Week:

• Attentive Listening: The Psalmist notes God’s desire, “Oh, that my people would listen to me.” Guidance begins when we stop pushing our own agendas and quiet our hearts to hear His voice.  Slow down and take time to listen to Him. 
• Trust His Guidance: Rather than striving to secure outcomes on our own terms,  open your hands and receive God’s provision.  This means we must trust that His supply is far greater than what we could provide on our own.
• Submitting to Better Ways: Incline your heart to walk in His paths rather than your own counsel.  Change the pattern in your life from self-reliance to God reliance.   When we yield control, God takes on your true burdens and satisfies you deeply from unexpected places.

This week, may we surrender the urge to handle everything on our own, stepping into the quiet peace and abundant provision of a Father who delights in helping us.

Volunteers Needed

I hope and pray you all had a refreshing summer!  As mentioned in the service on Sunday we have a growing number of young people and children in our church these days.  This is indeed an answer to prayer and a blessing.   We are committed to providing Sunday School and programs for all age groups and this requires a large number of volunteers.   If you are interested in helping from time to time on Sunday please let me know so we can get you involved.   

Have a great week!
Blessings,
Eric Casteel
Pastor