Psalm 154 from Beyond Psalm 150
As the people of Israel travel about in the desert, water is scarce. They reach the city of Beer. God instructs Moses to gather the people, and he will provide water to quench their thirst.
The people respond collectively, praising God in song. Though this seems like a poem to the well that produced the water, let’s understand this as an indirect praise to God for guiding them to the water that the well provided.
All praise rightly goes to God, from whom all blessings flow—including water.
Spring up, well! Sing to it,
the well, which the princes dug,
which the nobles of the people dug,
with the scepter, and with their poles.
Numbers 21:17–18 (WEB)
Reflection The Nation Sings
When might we have directed our appreciation for something God provided to the wrong source?
Roughly one billion people in our world today lack access to clean, drinkable water. The rest of us seldom give water a thought. What can we do to thank Yahweh for his life-giving water? What can we do to help those who are thirsty?
May we give water to thirsty people in Jesus’s name (Matthew 10:42).
[Check out Living Water International: https://water.cc/ for tangible ways to help.]
Explore the other psalms—sacred songs of praise, petition, and lament—scattered throughout the Bible in Peter’s book Beyond Psalm 150.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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