Psalm 95 (Listen)
95:1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the LORD is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your fathers put me to the test
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
10 For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
and they have not known my ways.”
11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
Devotional:
Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the wilderness… (Psalm 95:8)
The Bible is filled with examples of what to do and what not to do. The Psalmist gives an example of what not to do when he references how the Israelites in the wilderness did not listen but rather hardened their hearts in rebellion at places called Meribah (which means “quarreling”) and Massah (which means “testing), as described in Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:2-13. The writer of Hebrews quotes this Psalm in Hebrews 3 to warn Christians against doing the same thing. We, too, cannot ignore God when we know He is speaking to us. May we learn from the Israelites’ mistake so we will not go astray. Did you ever have a time when you felt God was directing you but you chose to ignore Him and do your own thing?
Pray It: Father, help me not to ignore you or test you like the Israelites. Instead, help me to praise you and enjoy the rest that is found as I trust you.
Share It: Share a verse or thought from this passage with someone today.