Read | Psalm 105
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
proclaim his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell about all his wondrous works!
Boast in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
Remember the wondrous works he has done,
his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,
you offspring of Abraham his servant,
Jacob’s descendants—his chosen ones.
He is the LORD our God;
his judgments govern the whole earth.
He remembers his covenant forever,
the promise he ordained
for a thousand generations—
the covenant he made with Abraham,
swore to Isaac,
and confirmed to Jacob as a decree
and to Israel as a permanent covenant:
“I will give the land of Canaan to you
as your inherited portion.”
When they were few in number,
very few indeed,
and resident aliens in Canaan,
wandering from nation to nation
and from one kingdom to another,
he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their behalf:
“Do not touch my anointed ones,
or harm my prophets.”
He called down famine against the land
and destroyed the entire food supply.
He had sent a man ahead of them—
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
They hurt his feet with shackles;
his neck was put in an iron collar.
Until the time his prediction came true,
the word of the LORD tested him.
The king sent for him and released him;
the ruler of peoples set him free.
He made him master of his household,
ruler over all his possessions—
binding his officials at will
and instructing his elders.
Then Israel went to Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
The LORD made his people very fruitful;
he made them more numerous than their foes,
whose hearts he turned to hate his people
and to deal deceptively with his servants.
He sent Moses his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
They performed his miraculous signs among them
and wonders in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness, and it became dark—
for did they not defy his commands?
He turned their water into blood
and caused their fish to die.
Their land was overrun with frogs,
even in their royal chambers.
He spoke, and insects came—
gnats throughout their country.
He gave them hail for rain,
and lightning throughout their land.
He struck their vines and fig trees
and shattered the trees of their territory.
He spoke, and locusts came—
young locusts without number.
They devoured all the vegetation in their land
and consumed the produce of their land.
He struck all the firstborn in their land,
all their first progeny.
Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold,
and no one among his tribes stumbled.
Egypt was glad when they left,
for the dread of Israel had fallen on them.
He spread a cloud as a covering
and gave a fire to light up the night.
They asked, and he brought quail
and satisfied them with bread from heaven.
He opened a rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed like a stream in the desert.
For he remembered his holy promise
to Abraham his servant.
He brought his people out with rejoicing,
his chosen ones with shouts of joy.
He gave them the lands of the nations,
and they inherited
what other peoples had worked for.
All this happened
so that they might keep his statutes
and obey his instructions.
Hallelujah!
Click here to listen to the Scripture in ESV.
The psalmist repeatedly tells readers to “remember” what God has done. Why is the spiritual discipline of remembrance or meditating on God’s past actions so crucial for strengthening faith?
Focus
Based on your Bible reading this past week, journal about three topics:
1. What stood out to you about the character of God?
2. What stood out to you about the nature of humanity, or yourself?
3. What remains confusing, challenging, or difficult to grasp from your Scripture reading this week?
(There are With God journals available at each campus.)
Pray
Pray a reflective prayer, sharing with God what you journaled about. Allow what arose as you answered the questions to direct your prayer time. As you meditate on the character of God, how does that inform your posture in prayer? How does that inform your view of yourself and humanity as you pray? As you wrestle with Scripture, how does that inform your prayers?
Going Deeper
Throughout this year-long series in theFormed.life, the daily Scripture reading will take you through the whole story of Scripture in manageable chunks, allowing time for other study, reflection, and prayer, rather than including every verse and chapter in the Bible. If you would like to go deeper and read through the entire Bible, use this whole Bible reading plan from the BibleProject. Print it off and use it as a checklist to track your progress!