And in their heart they put God to the test
By asking for food according to their desire.
— Psalm 78:18
The psalmist takes time to recount the wonderful deeds the Lord had done for the children of Israel since freeing them from captivity in Egypt.
In this section, he exposes the hypocrisy of Israel. Even after seeing the Lord gather and deliver them, part the Red Sea, defeat their enemies, lead them with a cloud by day and fire by night, they still continued to rebel against Him.
This verse reveals that their testing of God was not merely outward—it came from their hearts. They put God to the test by demanding food that satisfied their cravings.
In the verses that follow, they continue to complain and murmur against God, asking questions like:
“Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
Can He provide bread also?
Will He prepare meat for His people?”
— Psalm 78:19–20
Their questioning wasn’t innocent curiosity—it was rooted in unbelief.
The psalm goes further to expose what was truly happening in their hearts:
“Because they did not believe in God
And did not trust in His salvation.”
— Psalm 78:22
The real issue was not hunger or difficult circumstances. The issue was their lack of faith.
It is sobering how often we find ourselves in the same place. Even after witnessing God’s goodness—how He has rescued us from the slavery of sin, transferred us from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son, and faithfully provided for and protected us—we still fall into the same pattern. Like Israel, we continue to sin and rebel against the Most High.
While we may look at Israel’s questions with disbelief, we often ask the same questions through our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. We begin to doubt whether the God who created the universe is able to handle the details of our lives—our marriages, health, provision, relationships, parenting, and ministry.
Instead of trusting Him, we drift into complaining and murmuring against the very God in whom we live and move and have our being.
The psalm reminds us that the problem is not our circumstances. Circumstances will always come and go. The real issue lies in our hearts—it is a matter of belief.
Whenever we find ourselves asking such doubtful and discontented questions, it reveals a deeper struggle: we are not trusting God or His salvation. At times, we may even begin to think that His past faithfulness was a one-time event, or worse, that He may not love us enough to act on our behalf again.
But Scripture gives us a firm and comforting assurance:
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”
— Romans 8:32
If God has already given us His Son, we can trust Him to provide everything we truly need.
So let us repent and turn our hearts back to Him. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. The God who did not spare His own Son is faithful to sustain us.
Let us not put God to the test by demanding what suits our desires, but instead learn to trust in His perfect provision.
Grace and peace!
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