Proof in the Pudding
Today’s Verse:
Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah. ~Psalm 81:7
How thoroughly have you experienced God’s faithfulness in your life? What experiences has God brought you through to show you how much He loves you? This morning, we are examining one verse that demonstrates to us that the proof is in the pudding. In other words, you really do not know how faithful God is and how much He loves you until you have had experiences that make your faith depend upon Him.
Proof is experienced when we are in trouble.
He said, “Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee.” Trouble is an unsettling problem. Where this word is used in the Old Testament, it has the idea of an adversarial situation. It refers to having your back against the wall and the situation is much bigger than you. “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” When we are in trouble, we cannot sleep, have no appetite, and want to hide. We desire to pray with greater fervency when we are in trouble. Here is proof #1: God delivers us from our troubles! David said, “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” Trouble is a divine means to show us that God is there for us at the right time to deliver us.
Proof is experienced when we are trembling.
“I answered thee in the secret place of thunder.” The sound of thunder above us is very awesome and frightening. When we hear thunder, we feel like the earth is shaking. We find ourselves trembling with fear. When fear overcomes us, we feel like running and hiding. When fear grips us, we turn to God in prayer. It is here that we see proof #2: God answers our prayers! What a wonderful thought to know that our God delights in answering our prayers. When He answers us, He gives us peace in the midst of the fear. Fear should drive us to the Lord. “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
Proof is experienced when we are tested.
God said, “I proved thee at the waters of Meribah.” When Israel was at Rephidim, there was no water there. The people began to strive with Moses and accused him of leading them to a death trap. This location was named Meribah, which means testing. It was there that God tested them to see if they would trust Him for their needs. Instead, they demonstrated their unbelief and critical spirit. They saw an obstacle instead of an opportunity. They saw discouragement instead of a demonstration. God said, “I proved thee at the waters of Meribah.” In spite of their contentious spirit, God gave them water from a rock. He proved His faithfulness in spite of their unfaithfulness. Testings reveal much about our faith. Testings also place our complete dependence upon God. Testings teach us that we are not as strong as we think we are.
The lesson today is that God uses different circumstances to shake us up and cause us to see His faithfulness to us and how much He loves us. Without these experiences, we will not appreciate His working in our life. The proof is in the pudding! Don’t look at trouble, trembling, or testing as a way out, but as a way to God!
Have a faith-enriched God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Samuel 13-15