Daily Devotional For Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Good morning Southside. Our daily devotional for today comes from Psalms 95:7-11:

“For He is our God. We are the people He watches over, the flock under His care. If only you would listen to His voice today! (8) The LORD says, ‘Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. (9) For there your ancestors tested and tried My patience, even though they saw everything I did. (10) For forty years I was angry with them, and I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts turn away from Me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ (11) So in My anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter My place of rest’” (NLT).

This part of Psalm 95 reminds us how easily we can harden our hearts to the Lord. After seeing and experiencing all the miracles God did to get them out of Egypt, after witnessing the Red Sea splitting and God causing a wind to dry up the seabed so they could cross unhindered, the Hebrews still hardened their hearts against the Lord.

The word “listen” in verse 7, is the Hebrew word, [שָׁמַע, shama]. Those reading this Psalm during Old Testament times would be drawn back to Deuteronomy 6:4-9, where the Hebrews are instructed to LISTEN to the Lord so that they will be blessed by Him. This text gives two places from Israel’s past where they blatantly and willingly did not listen to the Lord: Meribah and Massah (see also for other references to the sin at Meribah and Massah: Ex. 17:1-7; Num.  13:20, 24; Deut. 6:16; Deut. 9:22; Deut. 32:51; Deut. 33:8; Ps. 81:7 and Ps. 106:32). What is the significance of these two locations? What the people of God did at Marah and Massah were so evil that they are repeated throughout the Old Testament as examples of not listening to the Lord? They griped, whined and complained against the Lord.

Now you may feel, "I never complain against the Lord." But at times all of us do and here is how. God' people today often complain against the Lord by grumbling about their circumstances, questioning His timing, or expressing discontent with His provisions. This manifests through bitter attitudes, rebellious actions, or blaming God for personal hardships rather than trusting in His sovereignty and plan.

Though Psalm 95:1-6 starts out with a call to praise the Lord, the rest reveals an angry God, a discipling God. This does not sit well in many modern churches today. We want to hear about a friendly God, a loving God, a merciful God, a gracious God, and a forgiving God – not an angry discipling God. Even our sanctuaries are built and presented with what is nice: nice flowers, nice cushioned pews, nice temperature, nice lighting, and nice preaching. We attempt to make God in our image rather than reminding ourselves we are made in His image. We are so concerned to make God so acceptable to people that we nicely water down the truth about Him. 

We can make our worship so “nice” that it becomes an angry abomination to the Lord (see Amos 5:18-25). “Abomination” is not a word we like to hear, but is used throughout the Bible repeatedly. Psalm 95 reminds us that worship of God is serious business and He is worthy of our unadulterated worship. This was a psalm that was used in their festivals, but in verse 6, the people come and bow before the Lord. What seems as sincerity is actually insincerity. This is why from verse 7 on God is rebuking His people. They do not mean what they are doing, saying and singing. Does this sound like the modern church today?

In our worship services today, do we really want God to show up? Are we prepared for God to show up if He did? Worship, full-praised worship, requires that we understand who God is and how serious we should take worship. Why? This psalm reminds that God is both Judge and Controller of everything. The next time you are in worship, just look around at those there. What are their attitudes and actions conveying? What are yours? To go through the motions of worship void of the emotions and understanding who God is and why we are there is an abomination to the Lord. He will not be mocked by our insincerity and harden hearts to Him in worship. 

For most worship services, they are cold-stone dead. Why? Because of the hardness of the people’s hearts. Years ago, I heard a horrible joke but there may be some truth in it:  “Why will Baptists be the first to rise from the grave when Jesus returns? Because the dead in Christ are to rise first.” I challenge all of us to rise everyday, and especially on Sundays when we come to worship, to come with an attitude to praise the Lord with all of our hearts, souls, minds and bodies.

Reflection Assignment: Have you ever complained against the Lord as explained above? What lesson did the Lord teach you because of that? When you come to worship at your church, are you all there and all in to give God your best OR do you just go through the motions? If it is the latter, then your attitude is, “The Lord is not worth it.” After saving you, giving you eternal life and a home in heaven, after giving you His Word and His Holy Spirit, why is the Lord not worth it to you if these were only blessings He ever gave to you? 

Scripture To Meditate On: Psalm 95:1-3, Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord, Let’s shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. (2) Let’s come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving, Let’s shout joyfully to Him in songs with instruments. (3) For the Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods” (NASB).

Prayer To Pray: “Lord, forgive me when my heart is hardened against You in worship. I do not want my worship to be an abomination to You. I want it to be adoration. I promise You that I will give You my all the next time I am in worship because You gave me Your all in the cross and through the Resurrection. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly