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July 15 - Psalm 81-83
"I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it." (Psalm 81:10)
God reminds His people of who He is and what He has done for them, and then He issues a gracious command coupled with a wonderful promise: "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
The verse begins with God's declaration of His identity: "I am the LORD your God." Before God speaks of blessing, He reminds Israel of their relationship with Him. He is not a distant deity but their covenant God. He then points them back to His great act of redemption: "Who brought you out of the land of Egypt." The God who delivered Israel from slavery is the same God who now invites them to trust Him for their present and future needs.
The command, "Open your mouth wide," paints a vivid picture. It is the image of a young bird opening its beak in complete dependence upon its parent for food. The bird does not provide for itself; it simply opens wide in expectation. Likewise, God calls His people to approach Him with faith, dependence, and expectancy.
Sadly, the following verses reveal that Israel often refused this invitation. Verse 11 says, "But My people would not heed My voice." Their problem was not God's unwillingness to provide but their unwillingness to trust. The same tragedy can occur in the lives of believers today. We often come to God with small requests, weak expectations, and limited faith, forgetting the greatness of the God to whom we pray.
The invitation to "open wide" teaches us that God delights in supplying the needs of His people. It encourages bold prayer. We honor God not by asking little of Him but by recognizing His infinite power and abundant grace. The God who created the universe, parted the Red Sea, fed Israel in the wilderness, and raised Jesus from the dead is fully able to meet every need according to His riches in glory.
This verse also points us beyond material provision. God desires to fill His people with spiritual blessings. He fills hungry souls with His Word, weary hearts with His peace, and empty lives with His presence. Jesus echoed this truth when He declared that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).
The challenge for every believer is simple: Are we opening our mouths wide? Are we bringing our greatest burdens, deepest longings, and highest aspirations to God? Too often we limit Him by our unbelief. Yet God still extends the invitation. He asks us to trust Him, seek Him, and expect great things from Him.
Psalm 81:10 reminds us that our God is a delivering God, a providing God, and a generous God. The size of our requests should be determined not by our resources but by His. Therefore, let us come before Him with faith, open our mouths wide in prayer and expectation, and trust Him to fill them according to His perfect wisdom and abundant grace.