Psalm 81:10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. (NIV)
I’ve been meditating on this verse for the past year or so. It’s one that I have in my verse cards. And as I’m (slowly) working through Beth Moore’s study on James, it came up again. In one of the videos she discussed how faith gains more than it asked and doubt loses more than it had (e.g., Matthew 13:11-12). It’s a terrifying thought. How often do I ask flippantly for something and not even pay attention to the answer? How often do I ask without expectation, without faith?
It’s happened before, but recently I was driving to the store and was in a fair amount of pain. The parking lot seemed full. I groaned out a half-hearted prayer for a close parking spot, and then started looking for a spot about halfway down the aisle. I caught sight of one about 3/4 of the way back and as I drove toward it, I realized I had inadvertently missed an open spot–the one that was second in. Someone else snagged it right away, but it struck a chord.
I so often start looking for an answer less than what God wants to give me. I miss blessings because I’m not praying in faith. I find myself coming to God with my little thimble, rather than opening wide my mouth–praying for the impossible. After all, God is the God of the impossible. Why do I self-edit my prayers, circumscribing them down to what appears easily within reach? In my case, I’ve been convicted that it’s a lack of faith. Happily, unbelief and lack of faith are things God specializes in.
God, please change my heart. Show me what it means to open wide my mouth–to pray for bushel baskets of blessing. Forgive me for my unbelief. Please replace it with faith. Thank You for Your grace in teaching me and continually rescuing me from myself! In Jesus’ Name, amen!
