Verses 1-11
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The psalmist teaches here, simply, that God has been faithful to keep His word to His people, and He has done many great works, so we should pray, talk about Him, and seek Him with joy!
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Many forget that joy is a form of worship to God. If we are not joyful in Christ, we are not seeing how marvelous God's works truly are. With all your heart, seek to know God, and joy will come!
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Verses 12-22
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Next we learn about God's works with His people Israel.
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God protected Abraham, a servant and prophet of His, from harm (Genesis 20:3-7), even though his small household dwelt among large nations in Canaan.
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After a time when food was in abundance, God caused a famine to teach the world not to be gluttonous. And He sent Joseph to be ruler, to guide the people through the famine.
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Joseph had dreamed of this rulership as a teenager, but it did not come to pass until after thirteen years of slavery and imprisonment in Egypt.
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In this way, God tested Joseph's faith and strengthened and prepared him for his position as a ruler in Egypt.
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Just as God taught the world through the famine, He taught Joseph through his afflictions.
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Always remember that suffering plays an essential role in your growth. Suffering is a test of your faith that will strengthen you in the end (James 1:2-4).
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God's great works are not only those that are “miraculous”, but also those hardships that cause our growth!
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Verses 23-38
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We turn to Moses and the now multiplied people of Israel in Egypt. Just as God caused the famine in the days of Joseph, God now turned the hearts of the Egyptians to hate the Israelites (verse 25), which caused the Egyptians to oppress them and force them to be their slaves.
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This caused the Israelites to multiply more in Egypt (Exodus 1:12), and it caused them to cry out for their prophesied deliverance (Genesis 15:13-14, Exodus 2:23). It appears that they had to become uncomfortable in Egypt in order to have the drive to depart and go to the land promised to them by God.
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God then punished the Egyptians for their evil and their oppressions in the ten plagues, all of which proclaimed God's power and might, and brought great glory to God in the end. The Israelites worshipped God for delivering them out of Egypt (Exodus 15:1-21).
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As we can see, God had a purpose in their suffering in Egypt, just as God had a purpose in the famine of Joseph. Remember that God is involved in everything, bringing good out of evil.
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Verse 37. Notice that the Israelites departed from Egypt not only with wealth, but also in perfect health. They numbered in the millions by this time, but after the Passover meal, no one was sick or weak.
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There's a wonderful truth here about our health to learn from. When the people celebrated a work of God together, eating together, no one was sick afterwards. Here's an example of how this works today:
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Personal note from the author - My wife has a sensitivity to gluten, and cannot eat it without subsequent stomach pain. However, whenever we gather with believers to celebrate another believer, like a birthday party, she can eat gluten without any problems. Her gluten sensitivity disappears when eating in this context.
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Apply this how you will, but I have learned, like God did for Israel, that when believers come together to celebrate each other to the glory of God, God brings joy by stopping what would otherwise be normal weaknesses that many believers experience when eating certain foods.
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Verses 39-45
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As the Psalm closes, we see that God provided for His people every step of the way, miraculously providing navigation, food, water, and even well-cultivated land and houses for them to inherit in Canaan (Deuteronomy 6:10-11).
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Simply remember that God will take care of you, and let this bring you peace. Keep focused on being joyful for His works in your life.
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