Psalm 81: Open

Hebrews 4:16 is a well-loved and often quoted verse, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” In many translations, the word “boldly” is used rather than “confidence”. The Greek is actually a combination of words that together mean “with all outspokenness” and carries the idea of assurance. The author was telling us to come to God through Jesus without any fear or thought of being rejected, to be assured that the mercy we need has already been prepared to be provided. It is not a confidence in ourselves, in our approach, in that we have done what was necessary to be received, heard or answered. It is a confidence in the One who has invited and paved the way for us. It is not about us at all, it is all about Jesus. We can come to God because Jesus came for us. We can approach with confidence because Jesus came in humility. We will be heard because Jesus has spoken. Hebrews 4 gives us permission, but in many ways Psalm 81 asks a question, if we have been invited why do we not come? If God is speaking why are we often slow to listen? If God has promised to feed us, why won’t we open our mouths?

This Psalm was most likely written from exile. It began as a call to rejoice, to sing, shout, play instruments, blow trumpets and remember God’s goodness to His people. In the middle of the psalm there was a change, not of tone but of the speaker, it suddenly changed from the psalmist to God Himself. God reminded Israel of His care for them, how He heard their cries in Egypt, rescued them from slavery, relieved their oppression, spoke to them by His own voice and provided for even their most basic needs. I believe what God was saying was that He had proved Himself to them over and over again. He had showed them not just His power, but His kindness, His love, His care, His gentleness, His desire to do good to them and for them.

The theme of the psalm is then revealed, God’s desire for Israel to listen and Israel’s seeming unwillingness. God said, in verse 8, “if you would but listen to me!” But then in verse 11 “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.” Then, in verse 13, we get to hear the passion and emotion of God’s heart for His people, “Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!” Why does listening matter so much to God? Why does He insist upon it, even in this psalm, plead for it? Is it His demand for control, is there insecurity in Him? Does He need to be listened to in order to feel validated? Is God a showoff? Is He prideful? Is He needy? Hopefully, we know that the answer to all of those questions is no, God is none of those things. But then why does He put so much work and emotion into His desire for us to listen? We tell people not to worry about people that do not listen to them, to have thick skin or to let it roll off their backs. Is God sensitive? Is He easily offended? His desire for us to listen is not about His feelings, it is about our good.

God’s character is humble, selfless, generous and gentle. Jesus showed us what God was like when He thought more highly of others than He did of Himself, when He washed the feet of those who should have been serving Him, when He died the death of those who had rejected Him. God showed us His priority when His loved caused Him to send His only Son and then He demonstrated that love in this, “while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” God needs no validation, He does not crave attention, His glory does not come from our acknowledgement, He speaks for our good. His desire and His emotion are about us, it is toward us, it is for us. God’s will is not that we do the good He needs, but that we receive the good that He has for us. His character is not one that needs to be obeyed to be appeased, but one that knows that our obedience to His voice leads to our good.

The great question continues to be, what do we think God is like? What do we know of His character? Romans 8:28, another greatly loved and often quoted verse, does not just tell us that “for those who love God all things work together for good”, it calls us to “know this”. We can trust how God will work in all things if we are confident of who God is, of what He is like, of how faithfully He loves. Many of us, like Israel, live our spiritual lives “from paycheck to paycheck”. We are not convinced that He is for us, that He is with us, that His love for us endures and that He never leaves. It is not because God has not done enough, it is because we have listened closely enough. Listening is not just about obeying, it is about believing, about seeing character, about trusting the heart. God is not waiting for disobedience so that He can punish or even obedience so that He can bless, He is working, He is speaking, He is moving for us. God is not saying, “Oh, that you would do what I tell you”. I believe He is saying, “Oh that you would know how I love you, that you would trust that I won’t harm you, that you would believe that I won’t disappoint you, that you would listen and hear my presence with you.”

For me, the psalm culminates in this statement from God, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” We don’t have to jump through hoops, dot all the “I’s” or cross all the “t’s”, we only have to open our mouths. It is God’s desire to feed us, to provide and protect, to lead and to guide, to bless and not curse. Jesus said, in Luke 12:32, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” God’s character is generous, He loves to give. He is the giver of life, He’s the giver of all good things, He is our heavenly Father and Jesus said, “how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” God’s not waiting for us to do our part so that He can do His, He is asking us to open our mouths so that He can fill them. All the good things that God has designed are prepared, they are in His hands, they are in His heart, He is only waiting for us to trust Him enough to open our mouths.

What does that look like? For each of us and for each season it may be different and yet, in spirit it is always the same. Opening our mouths speaks of dependence upon God. When we open our mouths, we are trusting Him with not just the outcome but the process. So, we open our mouths when we stop trying to make it happen ourselves, when we stop worrying that we have missed our opportunity or doubting that our time will ever come. We open our mouths when we remind our hearts of God’s goodness in the moments when all we can feel is our weakness. We open our mouths when we wait for Him rather than running ahead of Him. It is not just that God demands dependence, we were created to be dependent, that means that we are at our best when we are completely dependent upon God. He gave manna to Israel each day, not each day they needed it, not when they ran out of what He had previously given or when they needed a bit extra, but each day. Jeremiah wrote that God’s mercies were new every morning. There is a beautiful combination of truths there, we need new mercy each day and God provides it, He does not just meet our need, He is ahead of our need, granting grace before the need arises. Jesus taught us to pray for our “daily bread”, showing again that God is not bothered by our requests, but He designed a constant communication because He enjoys our continual dependence.

The question before us today is not about God’s provision, He provides, that is settled and established, the question is, will we open our mouths? Will we ask for what we need, will we wait for Him to provide and will we trust in His love? He does not withhold good things from those who walk with Him. He is not loud and demanding, He is patient and caring, He speaks not simply to be heard, but because we need to hear what He says. Open your mouth and let God fill it. Do not make your own way, wait for His. Do not push forward, come boldly. Do not demand or even declare, ask. The way has been made, the need has been met, the meal has been prepared, all we have to do to receive the good that our hearts desire and that God has prepared, is to open our mouths and watch God fill them.