Imagine working all day to fix a fine dinner for some special people in your life. The table is all set, all their favorite food is ready. You wait for their arrival, but they don’t show up. Later you learn they went and had hot dogs at someone else’s place instead of enjoying the nutritious feast you made just for them.
This is how I see God in Psalm 81. He longs to give Israel good things — to rescue them from their enemies — but they ignore God and seek other gods and desires that are not good for them. In 81:8 God said, “Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me!” He wants them to be part of His household, to enjoy the good things he wants to give them. He reminds them of what he has done and what he wants to continue to do for them: “I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it (10).”
Even though God wants to provide for Israel a lavish feast, they reject Him. They refuse to obey God’s way and settle for other gods: “But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me (11).” You can sense God yearning for them to follow him: “Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways (13).” Because of their stubbornness, he leaves them to their own way: “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices (12).”
God wants to give us good things. He wants to bless us with a lavish feast that satisfies us. Yet we grow impatient with God. We settle for things in this world that don’t satisfy, frequenting other beliefs that go against God. We settle for a hot dog that leaves us hungry and unsatisfied when we know in our heart that God wants to bless us with living water and a lavish feast that satisfies the longings of our heart.
“But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” – Psalm 81:16
140 Character Christian 
Amen and amen! God features relationship with them, for it to be a two way thing.
Sometimes I feel day away from God and like he’s on the other side of a room. Still talking directly to me but I have to move closer to hear. Sometimes I don’t embrace that opportunity and instead leave the room. God is with us, if we only listen to His voice.
Thank you for this reminder and poignant scripture. 🙏
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:15).” Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Blessings.
I am actually beginning to see the role impatience as played in my own life and how i turned away from holding on and out and through… its hard to get a handle on it when you are caught up in the waves of negative reactions (or did not get that ability to hold yourself adequately in childhood in the face of massive frustrations) but I do see times when having faith and persevering would have been far better than running… so this really speaks to me.
I am glad it spoke to you. I look back at my own life and see times I ran from what could help me. I am grateful for God’s grace and the patience of those who helped me. Blessings.
Me too so we are definately on a similar path.
Amen! Through our Lord comes the only means to forever satisfy our thirst and hunger for eternal life.
So true. Thanks for the comment. Blessings.
How often do I resist the goodness of God because I think I know better…too often.
More than I care to admit. Thanks for the comment. Blessings.
It really does rip at one’s heart to see the yearning, the passionate pursuit of God for His people; and to see how we reject Him so often. Thank God for His Spirit within us to guide; and for His everlasting forgiveness!
Praise God for His Spirit, His love and grace! Blessings.