THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Psalm 126

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

When I look back to my times of hardship, I remember how difficult life was. It seemed like it was a challenge just to get through every day. There was no certainty that tomorrow would be any better. Despair and despondency were my bedfellows; misery and melancholy my constant companions. My tough circumstances took on a world all their own, an oppressive, unrelenting world that I seemed to be stuck in, a world where darkness dominated and optimism was void.

Maybe you can relate to a time like this. Maybe your life is like this now. Either way, I pray this devotion will be a blessing to you.

So how do we deal with these arduous situations when they occur?

The answer lies in these words from the 126th Psalm:

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Almost always when we’re trying to find our way out of tough circumstances, we look ahead when instead we need to be looking backwards, back to remember all the great things the Lord has done in our life. We so easily forget this in the present as our current state of affairs seem to take priority over everything including our past.

The psalmist and the people of Israel were certainly remembering God’s goodness and rejoicing in all the great things the Lord had done for them. They counted their blessings fully and we need to do likewise. In fact, we should never refrain from counting our blessings. Sit down and ponder them. Write them down and constantly refer to them so you never forget just how awesome God is and how that awesome God did great things for you. Indeed, He has been and will always be our ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

For something amazing happens when we consistently and persistently recall all that the Lord has done for us: we find ourselves buoyed up in hope in the present by remembering the ways God helped us in the past. We see and then believe that He did it before and He’ll do it again in accordance with His perfect will and way. Indeed, when we recall all the great things the Lord has done, we can do the following:

1. We can remember how our dreams came true and our prayers were answered.

Our present difficulty isn’t our first. We need to remember that. We have gone through hard times before and prayed to God for deliverance which He brought. As we recall how our prayers were answered previously, we find it easier to continue to pray and wait patiently for God to act, just as He did prior.

2. Our mouths can be filled with laughter through our current pains.

Painful periods don’t bring happiness in tow. Without some sense of joy to hold onto, we will find it tough to find anything to laugh about. But when we consider how good God has been to us, we can’t help but smile and even laugh in joy over how He came to our aid. And we can continue to smile knowing in hope He’ll come to our rescue again and create new memories of how great He is.

3. Our tongues can sing songs of joy even in our lamenting.

Liberation from adversity leads us to songs of praise. When we remember all the great things that God has done in our lives, we sing joyfully out of a sense of thanksgiving. This willingness to sing should continue, even in the grueling, troublesome times as we ever sing the praises of the God who saved us once and will continue to save us many times over until our life on earth is through.

Friends, whenever you go through difficulty, follow the lead of the psalmist and the people of Israel, remembering all the great things that God has done. Know and trust that every time you do, light will take the place of darkness and hope will overcome despair, all because God is greater than any problem we’re going through.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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