It’s never a good thing to be described as a big mouth, at least as far as talking goes. As I was reading in the Psalms, a passage stood out to me – God was telling His people to be a big mouth, but in a good way.
“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! 9 “Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. 10 “I, the Lord, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it”. 11 Psalm 81:8–10
God is saying to His people of Israel, ‘listen’. If you would only listen to me and recognize that I am the only God, your God, the One who rescued you, the only One who can satisfy you. Open you mouth as big as you can, and I will fill it.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. v10
I just laughed a bit as I read it, picturing someone trying to open their mouth as big as they could. It is vivid imagery to depict God as the only One who can satisfy.
However, God laments because His people did not listen. How often do we not listen, and pursue satisfaction apart from God?
“But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices”. v11-12
Instead of a mouth filled, they are given over to whatever they can get. We see from the text that God desires His people to walk in His ways, and He desires to protect them and defeat their enemies. You see the loving care of our heavenly Father warning His people of the consequences of not putting Him first.
“Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! “I would quickly subdue their enemies And turn My hand against their adversaries. “Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him, And their time of punishment would be forever”. v13-15
Then we see God explaining in wonderful terms what a proper relationship with Him results in: satisfaction.
But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” v16
Do you believe that whatever you are pursuing above God will bring you true lasting satisfaction?
God has the finest wheat and choice honey for those that would walk in His ways, and listen to Him. He rescued His people from Egypt, He rescued sinners who have trusted Christ, and now He wants to satisfy His people with Himself, and all the wonderful delights that follow.
I think we need to open our mouths a bit wider, and not settle for anything less than the satisfaction that comes from God alone. In other words, your big mouth is not bigger than God’s provision, so open wide.
