Let The Tears Flow...And Move Forward

Psalm 137:1-4 -  By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion.  We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it.  For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"  How shall we sing the Lord's song In a foreign land?

 

When this anonymous writer sat down…his reflections of the great city of Jerusalem brought fresh tears to his face. His sorrow from captivity was more than he could deal with in that moment…and he could not imagine himself having enough energy to sing the great songs of praise to God that his captors were asking for.

 

The captors made them sing anyway….and in my thinking that was good thing. The heavy heart we have in deep sorrow and pain will cause us to freeze in that season…if we let it.  Forcing ourselves out of bed….trying to find a way to cope with the pain and grief…leads us straight to God’s lap.  Once we have crawled up in his lap…and let him begin to heal our broken …hurt heart….we begin to see the purpose and a new season…a new song emerges from the pain.

 

I think of Job….Joseph…and David.  Men who suffered much in the life that God granted them…yet each one forced themselves to keep searching for God.  They never gave up hope that God would show up…and restore them….fulfilling the promises he had made to them before their struggle began.

 

Never let satan trick you into holding those tears that God created inside you.  God packed those tiny drops of water with a healing power that you will never know until they are released.  They slowly wash the pain and grief far enough away from your heart…so you will have room for the joy that God has planned for you…the hope he promised in Jeremiah 29:11.

 

Father…I thank you for my own tears this morning.  They fall in remembrance of the deep love you once let me experience with Mitchell.  I thank you for the short time you allowed…a time of sweet memories that bring a mixture of tears and smiles to my face. Thank you for allowing those powerful tears to reveal a deeper meaning for life than just earthly love….for drawing me close enough to you so I could find a way to love you more deeply.  Thanks for sharing your lap with me…and helping me to find joy again.  Amen.

Thank God For Mercy...Then Show It To Others

Psalm 136:1-4 -  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.  O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.  To him who alone doeth great wonders : for his mercy endureth for ever.

 

This anonymous writer tells us to give thanks for the great mercy of God that endures forever…23 times in this one Psalm. In 26 verses he lists many of the ways that Israel should be very thankful that God chose them to be his people…and gave them so much protection and love.

 

The mercy of God encompasses what we have come to know as kindness… compassion… forgiveness… understanding… grace…. faithfulness… and generosity…just to name a few possible synonyms. He has a well of the stuff that will never run dry….lasting for eternity.

 

I couldn’t help but reflect on what my own list of reasons I should be thankful for God’s great mercy.  The list would be quite long… my Psalm of praise taking the position of the longest psalm ever written. My most prominent verses would include life….a wonderful family…. and the many friends he has given me over the years to shape who I am.

 

I find myself thanking God for the reminder that I need to show his mercy and loving kindness to others. And I am not supposed to pick and choose who I show it too.  Mercy in its pure form is to be shown to everyone…including strangers….enemies…and those that are just plain hard to be around.  Jesus died on the cross for everyone…he even showed mercy as he was being tortured on that cross when he asked God to forgive the very ones that killed him.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to always show mercy and love to everyone you allow to cross my path.  Forgive me for the times I have failed at this task…and help me to use your strength and power to begin today with a new passion to show mercy to everyone. Thank you for the mercy you have shown to me. Amen.

Praise God....Just Because He Is Good

Psalm 135:1-4 - Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD, you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.  Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.  For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.

 

This anonymous writer reminds us to just take time to praise the Lord.  He tells us to praise his name…because he is good.  He tells us that all God’s servants should praise his name….and sing to him …for that is pleasant.

 

It is easy to praise God in the good times.  Our happiness just can’t be contained when he pours out his blessings on us. The smile on our face spreads to all those we cross paths with…and we just naturally give God the praise for all that he did to put us in such a wonderful frame of mind.

 

I admit it is harder to praise God when times are lean…and his blessings don’t seem immediately evident to our eyes. Our facial expressions of fear…and stress… and grief are just as evident to those around us.  They are watching that person who says they love Jesus more than anything else ….to see how we handle the bad as well as the good.

 

It’s a great reminder for me….to be careful while I am in a season of extreme blessings from my wonderful God.  He is showing off in ways I never dreamed…and I can’t help from shouting thank you over and over.  I know in my heart that even the bad times were training for what he has planned….and I never want to forget what he brought me through to be where I am today.

 

Father…I praise your name. I thank you for the good things that you have given me…and are still pouring into my life daily. I don’t deserve any of it. Thank you for reminding me that I have more than the material things I see in front of me to thank you for. Help me to never take for granted where it came from…and the high price your son Jesus paid to make a way for me to even approach your glory. Amen.

Watch...And Be Ready

Psalm 134:1-3 -  Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.    Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.    The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

 

This is another anonymous Psalm…some think written by Hezekiah.  It three short verses reflect on the importance of the watchmen that protected the Temple by night.  They made sure the Temple was always ready for the people to come and worship.

 

I can’t help but reflect on how important it is to guard the Temple that God lives in now.  He made each one of us a temple when we invited him to live in our hearts. We need to be ready to worship God at any given time.

 

Other scriptures in the New Testament point to the importance of keeping watch for Jesus’ return to claim this world back for his people.  He left us strict instructions in Matthew 25:12-13… “ But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.   Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” You see them mirrored in Mark 14:38…..and Luke 21:36.  And Paul references his directions in Romans 13….Acts 20 …and 1 Corinthians 16.

 

We need to watch for at least three good reasons.  First… the Hebrew translation…stay awake….means we are to always be alert and listening for God’s direction in our life. Jesus was upset with his disciples for falling asleep on him when he was praying the night before his crucifixion in Matthew 26:37-40. Second… we are to keep our minds ready by daily study of the Bible he gave us to help direct our ways….and continuous prayer to keep us connected completely to his will for our lives. And finally…he IS coming back to set up his earthly kingdom…sooner that most people think.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that need to be ready. Forgive me for the time I may have wasted…and help me be more passionate with my prayer and study of your word…so I can help spread the truth about your life and the salvation you offer to all. Amen.

Live Harmony....Produce Harmony

Psalm 133:1-3 - How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

 

David wrote these three short verses of chapter 133.  He well knew the disaster that could attach itself to your soul and life if you lived without harmony.  So he reminds us that true peace is found only when one lives in complete harmony with the ones we are placed with.  It’s pleasant ….precious….refreshing….and brings God’s eternal blessing.

 

Harmony…the sweet beauty of 2 or more notes that blend so beautifully together.  It brings comfort to our ears…to our heart...as we listen to the sweetness of the melody it creates. It gives some people courage….some people peace…and some people a sense of creativity to produce great things.

 

My Life application Bible commentary mentioned 3 reasons we should strive to produce more of this harmony in the world.  It sets a positive example for those that God has placed around us…drawing others into our peace.  It helps us function as a whole body…a team…getting God’s work done in a more effective way.  It renews and revitalizes our lives…removing the tension that causes headaches…high blood pressure…and a general tiredness to our whole body.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to strive for more harmony in my life. Forgive me when I have caused strife and tension…instead of modeled the love and peace that you sent your son to model for us.  Help me to soak up your great peace and love in my prayers and Bible study…so I can be a better model of harmony to the world. Amen.

Are You Restless Enough?

Psalm 132:1-5 - O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured.  He swore an oath to the LORD and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:  "I will not enter my house or go to my bed--  I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids,  till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."

 

This anonymous writer recounts the promise David made to God because his heart couldn’t stand living in a grand palace…when God’s Ark stood in a lowly tent. The material wealth around him did not comfort him…he was restless.  He wanted God to live in a grand temple….one that would give honor and majesty to the God he loved and worshiped.

 

We should all be so restless …when it comes to working for God.  The material world around us should give us no comfort at all…because we know there are millions of people out there that do not know about God’s great plan of salvation.  Our lives should be centered around finding the one job brought us to this earth to do.

 

I admit…I am guilty of caring more about my plight in the present than I do about what God may have planned for me to do in the future.  I sure don’t lose sleep…my bedtime is 9pm firm.  I guess I needed a reminder that the selfishness that ruled my life for so long still has a bit of control over my heart. I know also that only God can remove the reminder of control that the world has on me….and create in me restlessness for what he really put me here to do.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I still need you to help me remove the remnants of the selfish nature that keeps me more focused on the world than on you.  Forgive me this morning for sleeping too much…and not spending enough time with you in prayer and study.  Create in me a new passion this day to spend more time searching for the plan you have for me…so I can do the work you put me here to do. Amen.

Guard Against Pride

Psalm 131:1-3 -  My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.  But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.  O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

 

David wrote this short psalm.  Just three verses that pack a powerful message of humility. We must constantly guard our hearts from pride…and put our hope in God. We must let God take control of our soul…so he can wean us from the dependence we sometimes develop in the things of this world.

 

When we overvalue ourselves….pride consumes the parts of the heart that God is trying to consume with his love and servant attitude. A haughtiness develops that makes the heart crave attention. The heart can become so consumed with the need for attention that it forgets God far behind.

 

Humility puts others first...and brings a contentment with where God has placed us. We begin to understand that we are nothing apart from God’s great love…and any security we have comes directly form him.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to keep my heart humble ….and my eyes so contented in your will for my life…that I keep my hope completely in you.  Forgive me for the times that I have let pride creep in to my heart.  Help me to guard against it with more fervor…so that I can be humble…even when the world tempts me with its material wealth. Amen.