God Speaks
1 Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
2 Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
3 Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
4 Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
5 Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
6 you children of his servant Abraham,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God.
His justice is seen throughout the land.
8 He always stands by his covenant—
the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
9 This is the covenant he made with Abraham
and the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
11 “I will give you the land of Canaan
as your special possession.”
12 He said this when they were few in number,
a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
13 They wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
14 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
He warned kings on their behalf:
15 “Do not touch my chosen people,
and do not hurt my prophets.”
16 He called for a famine on the land of Canaan,
cutting off its food supply.
17 Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them—
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with fetters
and placed his neck in an iron collar.
19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams,
the Lord tested Joseph’s character.
20 Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free;
the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
21 Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household;
he became ruler over all the king’s possessions.
22 He could instruct the king’s aides as he pleased
and teach the king’s advisers.
23 Then Israel arrived in Egypt;
Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 And the Lord multiplied the people of Israel
until they became too mighty for their enemies.
25 Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites,
and they plotted against the Lord’s servants.
26 But the Lord sent his servant Moses,
along with Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians,
and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 The Lord blanketed Egypt in darkness,
for they had defied his commands to let his people go.
29 He turned their water into blood,
poisoning all the fish.
30 Then frogs overran the land
and even invaded the king’s bedrooms.
31 When the Lord spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians,
and gnats swarmed across Egypt.
32 He sent them hail instead of rain,
and lightning flashed over the land.
33 He ruined their grapevines and fig trees
and shattered all the trees.
34 He spoke, and hordes of locusts came—
young locusts beyond number.
35 They ate up everything green in the land,
destroying all the crops in their fields.
36 Then he killed the oldest son in each Egyptian home,
the pride and joy of each family.
37 The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold;
and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they were gone,
for they feared them greatly.
39 The Lord spread a cloud above them as a covering
and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.
40 They asked for meat, and he sent them quail;
he satisfied their hunger with manna—bread from heaven.
41 He split open a rock, and water gushed out
to form a river through the dry wasteland.
42 For he remembered his sacred promise
to his servant Abraham.
43 So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy,
his chosen ones with rejoicing.
44 He gave his people the lands of pagan nations,
and they harvested crops that others had planted.
45 All this happened so they would follow his decrees
and obey his instructions.
Praise the Lord!
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Although each will be addressed separately, Psalms 105, 106 and 107 are all historical accounts of God’s interactions with His people, Abraham and his descendants in particular. Psalm 105 begins by calling for praise, thanksgiving, and seeking out the LORD God (verses 1-4). The children of Abraham are to remember that God is the one who created and provided for them. They were also to recall His wonders, miracles, and guidance (verses 5-6). Verses 7-11 focus on the special covenant promises God had with Abraham and his offspring. The LORD chose and protected them when they were only a small group of people wandering around in Canaan (vv. 12-15). Verses 16-22 describe the story of Joseph and how God used troubling times to strengthen his character and equip him with the traits he needed to lead the mighty nation of Egypt. The next verses (23-25) tell how the Israelites came to be in Egypt and how they were treated. Verses 26-36 summarize how God used Moses to perform wonders (known as the ten plagues) in the land of Egypt. The rest of the chapter relates how the LORD brought His people out of slavery in Egypt and generously provided for them so they would follow His decrees and obey His instructions.
Prayer: Dear LORD God, You are the Creator and Provider of all things and people including me. Thank You for the miracles, wonders, and guidance You have given in my life. Thank You for the special relationship (adoption) You have with me and anyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ. You chose me when I was just wandering around in my sin. Thank You, LORD for how You have used the troubling times in my life to make me the person I am today. Thank You for being with me even when I was being mistreated. Thank You for how You have used various spiritual leaders in my life. Out of gratitude for all that You have so graciously done for me, I determine to follow Your decrees and obey Your instructions for the rest of my life here on earth. Holy Spirit, please help me to carry through on this declaration. To God be the glory. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will take at least five minutes every day this week to praise and thank the LORD for creating and providing for me.
- I will tell a friend or stranger about a time God guided, protected, or provided for me in some miraculous way.
- I will tell someone how they can be adopted into the family of God.
- I will spend time alone each day listening to God and reading His words in the Bible.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.