Psalms finale

About two and a half years ago i started studying the psalms, and now we reach the final one. It has been illuminating for me. I used to think the psalms were a bit lovey-dovey, how i was wrong! They are powerful outpourings of different emotions and passionate faith! It has been inspiring to research and consider each one week be week to find out the hearts of those who wrote them, and the level of trust and hope they each had in God. They have inspired me to keep holding on, to know that steadfastness is key, and that there is always, always hope even in the most desperate situations when God is in the picture! He has triumphed over enemies, hearts, cities, the heavens, He reigns supreme and will never let you down. He is worthy to be praised always. 

So, without further ado, let us read the final psalm;

 Psalm 150:1–6 (ESV): 

Praise the Lord! 

  Praise God in his sanctuary; 

praise him in his mighty heavens! 

 2  Praise him for his mighty deeds; 

praise him according to his excellent greatness! 

 3  Praise him with trumpet sound; 

praise him with lute and harp! 

 4  Praise him with tambourine and dance; 

praise him with strings and pipe! 

 5  Praise him with sounding cymbals; 

praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 

 6  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! 

  Praise the Lord! 

How fitting that the last psalm focuses on praising God in a multitude of ways. Bearing in mind all of the psalms that have come before, the culmination of the heartache, triumph, despair, joy, patience, confusion and victory is to praise God!

No matter where you are, what you are doing or experiencing, or what you have about you - use that to praise God! If you are amongst a group of people or alone, are having an easy or a tough time, you can ‘praise him for his mighty deeds’. The things God has achieved are incredible no matter who is around or what you are doing or what is happening. God deserves to be praised because He is great! His character is perfect, steadfast, considerate, loving and powerful even when you are not feeling it or recognising it. 

Over the years when i have felt tired, downcast, overwhelmed, confused and upset, when situations have been unfair and difficult, choosing to worship has been powerful. It is often a difficult thing to do, to put aside emotions and mindset and decide to praise, but listening to worship songs, choosing to pray positively, or dancing around the kitchen, may not change the circumstances, but it has changed me. Setting your mind to praise God even when you don't feel like it is good for you. God deserves it for He is still good even if things around you aren't! 1 Thessalonians 5 says; '16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.' God's will is for you to praise Him no matter what, and it does you good for it changes your focus and your thinking, God expects you to rejoice and give thanks 'in all circumstances'! God knows what is good for you, praising Him brings joy and hope as you remember who He is. Your circumstances and emotions need to be put into perspective, and worshipping God does that. You can always, ‘praise him for his excellent greatness!’ You can always do that. For God never changes, He is always excellent and great!

You can praise God in many ways and with many things. If you play an instrument, use that to extol God, if not, you can use whatever you have; your own body in dance, your voice to sing and pray, and you can even praise God by crashing cymbals together - it doesn’t even need to sound pleasant to anyone else! Even if, like me, you do not have a singing voice that others enjoy, God loves to hear it - so sing loud as your praise is for God’s ears, not for others. Get over being embarrassed - that is concern for the opinion of others rather than the heart of God, so sing for HIm. He wants you to sing, dance, play music, he enjoys to see and hear you do that in praise of Him. Parents like to see and hear their kids do these things, even if it is a 'joyful noise' (psalm 100). So, as a child of God, show Him your love, make a noise for Him, move your body for Him, crash cymbals for Him, for He loves it! It is the heart of praise that the Lord loves to hear, so let your heart for Him come through as you worship God in your own intentional way. 

Think about God. ‘his mighty deeds’ and ‘his excellent greatness’ and let these truths lead you to overflow in worship. 'Everything that has breath' has cause to praise the Lord, so what are you praising Him for today?

Celebrating God

 Psalm 81:1–16 (ESV):  

1  Sing aloud to God our strength; 

shout for joy to the God of Jacob! 

 2  Raise a song; sound the tambourine, 

the sweet lyre with the harp. 

 3  Blow the trumpet at the new moon, 

at the full moon, on our feast day. 

 4  For it is a statute for Israel, 

a rule of the God of Jacob. 

 5  He made it a decree in Joseph 

when he went out over the land of Egypt. 

  I hear a language I had not known: 

 6  “I relieved your shoulder of the burden; 

your hands were freed from the basket. 

 7  In distress you called, and I delivered you; 

I answered you in the secret place of thunder; 

I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah 

 8  Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! 

O Israel, if you would but listen to me! 

 9  There shall be no strange god among you; 

you shall not bow down to a foreign god. 

 10  I am the Lord your God, 

who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 

 11  “But my people did not listen to my voice; 

Israel would not submit to me. 

 12  So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, 

to follow their own counsels. 

 13  Oh, that my people would listen to me, 

that Israel would walk in my ways! 

 14  I would soon subdue their enemies 

and turn my hand against their foes. 

 15  Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him, 

and their fate would last forever. 

 16  But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, 

and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” 

This psalm is a call from God to His people to remember to celebrate Him. To rejoice at the festivals that He has proclaimed and recall why they should be celebrated. God is reminding the Israelites that they have reason to celebrate. Recalling to their minds His salvation from Egypt, His provision and faithfulness. At times, we all need reminding that God deserves to be praised, worshipped and honoured. To take time to look at what God has done, consider His promises and recollect His works of the past. God instructs His people to make time to reflect and celebrate. For when you stop to consider, His marvellous character and unlimited kindness can easily be seen.

God recounted to the Israelites that He had set apart particular times to celebrate Him through feasts and festivals. This was so that they could not only recall the great things He has done, but that they could also have fun doing it. God wants His people to; rejoice, make music, sing, dance, laugh and be happy. What a great God! He not only does some amazing things, but He wants us to publicly celebrate together. Plus He joins us in those festivities as He says this is 'our feast day'. Not your day of remembrance, but 'our' day of celebration. In the fun and partying, God is there with us. As you celebrate who God is, He joins in - isn't that wonderful! So as God has given us set moments and festivals throughout the year in order to set our minds on Him, He is present. Therefore have fun celebrating His goodness. Participate in annual festivities no matter how old or young you are or how much you want to, because God tells you to, plus He will be there. You need to ensure that you make time to recall the works and character of God and the impact He has had in your life, across the World and throughout history. It is God's expectation that you do, and He will join you in it.

It is good to honour God through celebration. Getting together and enjoying yourselves through recollecting that God delivers and answers (v7) is a good thing and God recommends it, in fact He commands it, ‘it is a statute for Israel, a rule of the God of Jacob’. It is a duty of God’s people and His legal right to be celebrated! It is essential that God’s faithfulness is remembered. It is important because God is worthy of being rejoiced in - He deserves it. Plus it is essential that we learn to enjoy God and His works and wonders because we are good at going astray (v11-13). Therefore God tells the people of God that it is His right to be praised and to be celebrated, publicly and regularly, and it is good for you and I to remember His greatness for He does, ‘subdue their enemies’ and ‘satisfy you’. Therefore make it a part of your life to set aside time and make an effort to celebrate the wonderful breakthroughs, miracles, provision, consistency, love and faithfulness of God with others. 

No matter if you feel like life is easy or hard, it is important to set your mind to remember and celebrate God's goodness. Ensure that you set aside the time to attend celebration events that commemorate God’s works and goodness, get involved and enjoy God. The Israelites had a lot of festivals and events to commemorate through the year to help them recall His provision, love, mercy and salvation. In His kindness to us, God has set an expectation that we enjoy Him and His goodness by getting together to enjoy recounting His goodness and gifts with festivals and feasting. He has given us great reasons to party!

When are you next going to celebrate God with others?

God bears you up

 Psalm 68:19–27 (ESV):  

19  Blessed be the Lord, 

who daily bears us up; 

God is our salvation. Selah 

20  Our God is a God of salvation, 

and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death. 

21  But God will strike the heads of his enemies, 

the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways. 

22  The Lord said, 

“I will bring them back from Bashan, 

I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, 

23  that you may strike your feet in their blood, 

that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 

24  Your procession is seen, O God, 

the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary— 

25  the singers in front, the musicians last, 

between them virgins playing tambourines: 

26  “Bless God in the great congregation, 

the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!” 

27  There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead, 

the princes of Judah in their throng, 

the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 

I like how this section begins, by reminding us that God is our salvation, no-one else. There is no other way - only God can save you. No resolution, diet, workout, plan, or change of mindset will actually save you. They may help you, give you intermittent or even sustained relief, but they cannot save you. Only God is salvation. If you want your life to change and you want to be saved from trouble, you need God and you can freely approach Him to ask Him to save you from your circumstances and from sin - He can and He will. Other things may give you relief, comfort, a bit of help for a while, but ultimate salvation comes from God, are you relying on Him for it?

Verse 19 also tells us that God, ‘daily bears us up’. He not only does the great work of saving you from disaster, despair and sin, but He bears you up, every day. This means that God supports, helps and encourages you, providing the bravery, resolve and inspiration needed each and every day. God does that for you, everyday He bears you up! I think we often overlook the incredible privilege of being beared up and the strength that it takes to do that. We can glory in the great miracle of salvation, signs and wonders, but do you express gratitude for the everyday miracle of being; held, supported, encouraged, emboldened and inspired? God does these things for you everyday. Take a moment to consider the last few days - how have you managed to get through them? What everyday occurrences and strength have you received from God Most High to help you? Where has God guided you, strengthened you, inspired you and given you courage or support? God has been bearing you up. Can you imagine what life would be like without Him doing so? 

God has lived through every day that has already been, and He is invested in your life today, so who better to rely upon each day?! This small section of psalm 68 tells us that God, ‘bears us up’, has delivered us from eternal death (v20), returns things to their rightful place (v22), strikes enemies and puts in front those who were once the least (v27). What an incredible God! One who does what seems to be impossible, who changes the order of things, who honours those who are overlooked and changes things around. This is the God who brings you salvation and bears you up! What an incredible privilege to do life with Him.

If you are waiting for transformation, situations to change, or righteousness to be seen, keep waiting. God ensures that His will and works prevail and He will bring you salvation and keep you going through the waiting too. So, keep blessing and honouring Him with your words and your works (v26). Worship Him as God Most High, as The King, for He brings about His purposes and whilst you wait for those to be seen, He will bear you up.

Zechariah 4:10 says, ‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin’. If you have been feeling disheartened, or been praying and waiting a long time for change, or life seems a bit dreary or difficult, be grateful and joyful for the ‘small beginnings’, the little, everyday impact that God has in your life. Thank Him for His salvation and bearing you up. God is doing small and big things, make sure you look out for them and develop gratitude for the small as well as the great. Whether it is having the energy to do something, inspiration in a project, time to complete something, a minute change in circumstances, or the strength to stand up for an issue or a person, God is helping you in each of these things. I know that sometimes I have felt exhausted and not known how to get through the day, so I have prayed that God give me the energy, strength and stamina that I have needed to get through. Do you know what? Every time God delivered! It may seem a small thing to you, but I am grateful that God has answered these prayers, and at the end of the day I thank Him for it, because I know that He has borne me up by supporting and strengthening me to do what was needed in my everyday life. He does the same for each of us.

Which ‘small beginnings’ are you grateful to God for today? Look out for how God bears you up today.

the inward mind and heart of a man are deep

 Psalm 64:1–10 (ESV):  

1  Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; 

preserve my life from dread of the enemy. 

2  Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, 

from the throng of evildoers, 

3  who whet their tongues like swords, 

who aim bitter words like arrows, 

4  shooting from ambush at the blameless, 

shooting at him suddenly and without fear. 

5  They hold fast to their evil purpose; 

they talk of laying snares secretly, 

thinking, “Who can see them?” 

6  They search out injustice, 

saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.” 

For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep. 

7  But God shoots his arrow at them; 

they are wounded suddenly. 

8  They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; 

all who see them will wag their heads. 

9  Then all mankind fears; 

they tell what God has brought about 

and ponder what he has done. 

10  Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord 

and take refuge in him! 

Let all the upright in heart exult! 

Words can easily entangle and lead us down a path we never really intended on going down. This psalm can remind us how the words of deception, rumours and lies spread, and build into becoming swords, arrows and snares. The little quips and comments grow to transform people into enemies, this is what happened to David. It is bad enough having one person lying about you, saying horrible things and plotting against you, but David had a ‘throng of evildoers’ against him. How did that happen? These enemies and their schemes all started somewhere. There was one moment when something was done or said that has taken over and spiralled. One disagreement, angry word, disappointment, error, jealousy or miscommunication has led to people becoming disgruntled, conniving enemies. It may not even have been anything to do with what David has done or said. People can become our enemies for many reasons. Yet, just because someone is railing against you, doesn’t mean you should do the same. David recognised this. It is important, even when people are horrible to you, to deal with them well - To live above reproach. David did not; shout things back, sneak around after them, try to catch them out or even confront and fight them. He could have done - he was a powerful, mighty king! Even though he could have fought, and won, he did not take matters into his own hands. He could have permanently got rid of these troublesome, lying, deceitful, wicked plotters who attacked him. Instead, David preferred God's way. He talked to God about it and trusted in His eventual salvation, knowing that God’s way is better. David did not repay evil for evil, but he patiently waited for God to start shooting His arrows instead of shooting his own. For David knew that God would transform the situation and cause these enemies to be on the run and descend into ruin because they are attacking God’s man. God preserves and fights for those who love Him, so David was assured that he would not only be rescued by God from this situation, but that it would also be for the benefit other believers too. As they would see God come through and rejoice! (V10). What is your response when people behave like enemies towards you?

It is important as mentioned above, to ensure that you are living above reproach in every circumstance. To make sure that even if people treat you badly, you do not do the same to them. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:39, "I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also”. Jesus' advice - Do not try to squash the behaviour of those acting badly, but let them do it! By that you are showing love and mercy like God does to us. Do not allow yourself to retaliate or become angry, for that is not godliness and you will just end up behaving the same way as those against you and become wicked yourself. Consider the disciples in the book of Acts, they undergo terrible treatment, but do not react in their own strength. They endure torture and imprisonment and glorify and trust in God through it. They did not retaliate, fight or argue back. Instead they imitated their saviour in their loving and merciful responses to those who became their enemies. They are great examples of living a painful, but dedicated life to God. They lived their life fully for Him and that meant they didn’t always behave in the way they wanted to. The disciples understood that Jesus had shown that the battle is not really theirs, that even the enemies are not fighting you, but the godliness that is within. They also realised that any argument or physical fight is not going to change the heart or mindset of the wicked. Only the love and mercy of God can do that. Do you allow this to be the case when you have enemies? Or do you roll your sleeves up ready for a fight?

David also gives us an insight in this psalm that people have many reasons for doing things as, ‘The inward mind and heart of a man are deep’. David has realised that all people have; fears, hurts, joys and hopes which combine to influence their behaviour. David recognises that there are many reasons why someone will act in a certain way because they are ‘deep’. Some get carried away, follow others, respond out of heartache, try to provide security - there are many explanations of why people behave as they do because we are complex creatures. Friends and enemies have reasons to be such, and predominantly it is not because of you. It is because of the deep things that are going on inside of them. The behaviour and decisions a person makes are often not due to one experience or one comment, but there are many thoughts, values and experiences that lead to it. Those who live righteously and those who live wickedly choose to do so as a result of the internal processing of many ideas, ideals, experiences and goals. The things that mould a person into who they become are many and complicated, and they impact how they treat others. 

When you are on the receiving end of poor behaviour or wickedness, it is easy to consider the person or people involved as wicked. Yet you do not know the inner depths of each person for, ‘The inward mind and heart of a man are deep’. You do not know that they have been through, or why they are acting as they are. Sometimes these people may even seem quite nice and honourable, as they may act wickedly towards you, but they also can seem righteous or good at times! (v5-6) People are complex creatures, we all are. We all have different motivations and reasons for being like we are. We can even seem nice to some and horrid to others. David has noticed how even those plotting evil diligently against him, ‘search out injustice’. Yet they themselves are unjust in their words and actions towards him. It is a conundrum, but not one that any of us can solve by worrying about it. Instead, David does the only thing he can - talks to God about it - the One who knows the innermost being of every man and woman, and he trusts Him to sort it out. David is certain God will bring about the right course of action, and he will wait for it. For now, until his rescue comes, David will take refuge in speaking with God, trusting in His protection, for the time will come when ‘God shoots his arrows’ at these evildoers, and the people of God will, ‘rejoice in the Lord’ for the victory God has brought about. So instead of preparing to fight, why not take guidance from David, who did not roll up his sleeves and prepare for a battle when people plotted against him, but talked to God, carried on his everyday life and waited and trusted in the love and mercy of God to bring salvation and reason for all of God's people to rejoice?

 

God is the King of all the earth

 Psalm 47:1–9 (ESV):  

1  Clap your hands, all peoples! 

Shout to God with loud songs of joy! 

2  For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, 

a great king over all the earth. 

3  He subdued peoples under us, 

and nations under our feet. 

4  He chose our heritage for us, 

the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah 

5  God has gone up with a shout, 

the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. 

6  Sing praises to God, sing praises! 

Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 

7  For God is the King of all the earth; 

sing praises with a psalm! 

8  God reigns over the nations; 

God sits on his holy throne. 

9  The princes of the peoples gather 

as the people of the God of Abraham. 

For the shields of the earth belong to God; 

he is highly exalted! 

When you recall the works of God and His character, how can you not get excited?! 

What has God done in your life, family, amongst your friends, in your country, or even in history that you celebrate and are joyful about? If the answer is nothing, then look again. For God has been there and working throughout, ask Him to show you what He has been doing, allow yourself to become joyful at what God has done and believe Him for whatever circumstances may come. 

In this short palm we read how God has; made himself King over all the Earth, he has quieted oppression, caused the nation of Israel to be victorious, he gives a secure future, an inheritance, plus He loves and owns everything on Earth! This God spoken about in this psalm is the same God we worship today. He is still victorious, loving, blessing his people, and He continues to promise a secure and certain future for those who become His people. Are you rejoicing in the character and nature of God today? 

This psalm reminds us that God is ‘our King’. Wherever you are, God is King. He is not a king that is confined to a specific area or time, but He is an eternal, omnipresent king and so is king of all creation, every area, throughout all history, in the present and future. It does not matter of what generation or earthly kingdom you are a part of, you can know God as king of your place, time and situation. 

Kings are powerful, have authority and are responsible for leading their kingdom in safety, justice and freedom. Some earthly kings do that better than others, but God always leads His kingdom in truth, love and justice. You may not always understand what He is up to nor understand His tactics, but He is always working for His kingdom to be victorious, for that is the best thing for His people. ‘God is King of all the earth’ - there is no place, situation or person that He is not king of, He ‘reigns over the nations’. God is always in authority and in control and is working for His kingdom to expand. So, take comfort and assurance in all situations that God is present and reigning even if it doesn’t look like it to you. See how God has changed nations before, how He has transformed people and places and thank God that He can do it again. Remember just what it means for God to be King and allow your praises to overflow to Him. He is worthy of worship so; rejoice, be glad, sing, hope, worship, adore and extol God as King today. He deserves it! He deserves to hear us clapping, singing and shouting in adoration as, 'he is highly exalted'.

‘Sing praises to God, sing praises! 

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!’

Days of Remembrance

Do you have special days of remembrance?

The Jews, in Esther, created a new day of remembrance. They decide to set aside the day, every year, to recall the wondrous deliverance that God had brought about for them. A day to celebrate, give gifts and remember the poor. A day to remember that they had been delivered from death and given a new opportunity for life.

The Jews deliberately made an effort from this time forth to celebrate their deliverance from annihilation. Mordecai and Esther even established this holiday through a written letter of encouragement to all the Jews officially dedicating this day as one of celebration known as Purim. This day is an annual recollection, it is still a celebrated feast today. The nation has upheld it’s identity and continues to mark the day of deliverance.
This isn’t the Jews only day of remembrance either, they also have Passover, Hannukah and Yom Kippur to name a few, they have other important times of celebration too. The Jews are very good at celebrating. They are good at remembering, setting aside time to recall major triumphs in faith. They purposefully put dates in their diary to recall the times they have seen God at work in their lives. Do you?

Do you set aside any time in your year when you celebrate what God has done in your life? An annual commemoration? No wonder the Jews are fervent in their faith when they make time to rejoice in the breakthroughs of times past and can relate this to their own lives. They take time out of their busy lives to celebrate, not just what God has done for them personally, but they look wider and further to see what God has always been up to. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. By looking back and commemorating what God has done before brings confidence in what God is doing now and will do in the future.

Do you celebrate? Do you have significant highlights in your life, your town, your church, your nation that you should be commemorating?
How can you set aside time to recollect God’s hand in your life and the life of the church?

As a family, we have a couple of specific days that we celebrate. We set aside time to recall the days when our children became part of our family. We always make a point of doing something different and make sure we; share memories, reflect on how things have changed, discuss the highlights, the adventures, funny things that have happened and even how we ourselves have changed. I love hearing our kids stories and their memories. They are so precious. It helps me know our children better, what they value. It is an important opportunity for us all to talk to each other and acknowledge what we have and how far we have come. It does something to build relationship, and it puts extra joy in our hearts, it raises our hopes and expectations and helps us to see the work God has been doing. As a parent, it does my heart good to all get together and celebrate, as a child don’t you think it raises their hopes? Think about how God feels when we set aside to celebrate Him. As an imperfect parent I value the memories of my children, the strengths and aspirations they share, how much more so would God value the time we choose to spend commemorating Him and all the work He has been up to? Then imagine the faith it will build in yourself.

I think the Jewish customs of celebration, of marking key events in their history is important. It causes them to remember, to realign their vision, to reassess their values and regard the greatness of God, not just in theory, but in reality. How would your faith, your life change if you too set important dates of remembrance in your calendar?

 We all have stories, we all have adventures of faith, we all have breakthroughs. How can you commemorate the successes of your life?

Change of circumstances

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. *2*He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. *3*And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Esther 4:1–3.

15*Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. *16*The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honour. *17*And in every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.
Esther 8:15–17.

Grief, lament, bitter cries, mourning, fasting, weeping, sackcloth and ashes transformed into; royal robes, golden crown, shouting, rejoicing, lightness, gladness, joy, honour, feasting, a holiday.

How does that happen?

In the matter of a few months, the lives of the Jewish people was radically transformed. They were awarded life when the previous sentence over them had been death. How did such a complete change of circumstances occur?

Well, let's consider the people concerned - the Jews. Despite the edict of death being pronounced over them, they continued to faithfully live their lives even though stricken by grief. They lived with the perpetual fear of annihilation, yet they lived nobly. They maintained their faith and their culture and they leaned on their God. Eventhough death had been pronounced over the whole people group, they continued to live responsibly and faithfully. They knew their fate was sealed, a kings edict - unrevokable. They knew the future looked like a complete wiping out of their nation. So, what was their response? They lived righteously and they fasted and prayed. They knew they had little power or influence to change the circumstances, so they did the little they could, and they handed their fate and faith over to their God. They poured out their hearts, they appealed to God for rescue, then they got on with life - what else could they do?

Even with a death sentence over their heads, the Jews; went to work, played with their kids, tidied their homes - normal everyday stuff. They got on with living eventhough their hearts were full of grief. They kept going. They did not know how this was going to all work out, they were probably were more certain of their death than deliverance, yet they continued their lives of obedience. They sought God and they carried on.

Do you do the same when you encounter a change of circumstance? when you are faced with paining suffering?

Even when your life is threatened, your situation hopeless, do you hold on to your faith? Do you realise that if all else is against you, there is One who isn’t?  Do you, as the Jews did turn to God, pray, weep and fast?

What is your first response in tragedy?

This year, I want to take a leaf out of the Jews book. Their immediate response to devastating news was to pray and fast. They dint tell all their friends about it, they didn't hide, they faced the situation with the only one who cold have any influence. They had to live in the uncertainty, in the tragedy for a while, but God delivered in a mighty way - look at the celebration, how their mourning was turned into dancing. Times of fasting turned to feasting, mourning turned into shouts of joy. The Jews did not hide from their chase in circumstances, they took into account their emotions, they got on with life and they fell on God, and God provided a greater day of celebration than if the change of circumstances had never occurred. God gave life where there was death pronounced. The Jews had to live through it first though, they demonstrated faith and obedience and trust in God. Do you do the same when your circumstances change?