Today's treasure is found in Psalm 126...
"When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy...vs.1-2a
Now a brief reflection on history as we ponder these truths together. The children of Israel had been under the judgement of their God now for some 70 years. Some 7 decades earlier King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army had entered Jerusalem and captured God's people and took them away to Babylon. Daniel records this event in detail from the perspective of a prisoner of war, read it as it will help in understanding much of the journey of the people of Israel.
For decades God's people had cried out in prayer for their God to bring them back to His promised land, their home, Judah and Jerusalem. Now, our passage today records HIS answering their cry.
Have you ever prayed for something for an extended period of time? Now in today's instantaneous society, that would be a few minutes, but no, I am talking about months, years even decades. Some of us have! You know what it is like to pray, pray, pray and pray some more asking God to move, answer and intervene. You know the thoughts, struggles, feelings of helplessness and all the other related struggles of extended prayer. The Israelites had been praying for almost 70 years.....and then it happened......
I can only imagine what it was like, a cry went out through the land, a notice read, a decree made, and God's people were free. Free to return, free to go, free to leave and return to their homeland..... The scripture reads it well...."It was like a dream...." WOW....that is what it is like, a dream come true...
All they had longed for, prayed for had now, finally come to pass. They just could not completely grasp that it had finally happened. But it had....though it was like a dream, too good to come true, it was real and they were the lead players in it!!!
God even records for us what their response was like....."We were filled with laughter and we sang for joy." O Happy Day!!! Laughter and joy filled their hearts, homes and the community of Israelites. Man, give me some of that!!! I want to be where HIS joy has filled the heart! Nothing like it, is there!!!!???? I can imagine they sang, laughed, celebrated all the way back to their land!!!
Now what principles can we take from todays passage....
1) Never Give Up..... No matter what your burden is, never give up praying for our God to move. Now this first assumes that you are praying, if not shame on you! You should be. Quit griping, complaining and get on your knees and meet with HIM and tell all your troubles. (Matt. 11:28-30) Just remember, never give up! I personally know of two different wives who prayed for their lost husbands for over 50 years only to see them saved and serve God. What a privilege to see God work so powerfully in their lives. REMEMBER...NEVER GIVE UP!!!!
2) Ask God for that which only HE can do... So much so that when HE answers it will be like a dream....only when you open you eyes, it is true! This principle challenges me. My prayers are often so trivial by this standard. This is a problem in our christian culture. We have so much, we can "handle" so much that we often do not have many "needs" so we don't ask God for much. We need a crisis or either we need to learn to see through HIS eyes. Then we will be asking and asking big!!! Big, real Big, BIG BIG as Barney says.... SO what does your prayer life reveal about you and your dependence on HIM? Perhaps this is not a problem for you, then keep on asking, keep on believing....
3) Joy is His indicator of HIS working in Lives... mmmmmm, this is another biggie, Joy and Joyfulness is a sign of HIS having worked in a situation. As I reflect on this, my mind goes to the joyfulness of church and churches. Where has all the joy gone in our services? Where are the joyful worshippers and the joyful worship songs? A valid question I think we must ask....Perhaps the joy is not there because we are not asking and thus not depending and thus not experiencing HIS provision, protection and personal involvement in our lives. This may explain some of it.
Do you see Joy, His joy being manifested in your life, family and church? You should. If not, it is time for a check up!!! Perhaps it is because you no longer need HIM and are living in your own strength, thus no joy reveals our Christless lives.....mmmmmm, better think on that one....
As you pray over the needs of your life and family, it will be my prayer that HE will bring us to total dependence on HIM. Then when HE moves in answer we may join the joyful worshipful celebrators as they march triumphantly along singing the songs of victory. I will close with a beautiful song we sing that often lights my fire at CBF...." Come let us sing a song, a song declaring we belong to Jesus, we belong to HIM."
Trust Him, Depend Upon Him, Cry Out to Him, Pray...
NEVER GIVE UP! Victory is coming....
You'll be glad you did!
Blessings
Bruce
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