Memories...

Memories....

My devotional challenged, “memories are all we have in the end...write out some cherished ones you have with the people you love most...save them ...(“Mornings with Jesus”).

For the last few years I have written blogs about grief, my family, life, what God is teaching me...over 1500 of them according to the counter...I find that hard to believe...did I really have that much to say, when I am usually the quietest one in a group...but found this way as my way of speaking...

The blogs have laid out lessons of thanksgiving, despair, struggles, growing ...they have shared minute memories, ambushes in grief, daily lessons that God has shown me through various means and reminders...plus so very much more...

Some blogs have led to  published book on my journey through grief...which many have found comforting...and which I am so blessed in being a tool in others’ healing and life...it moves me to tears that God has used me as a tool in helping others...vulnerability and opening up is hard...obedience is hard...

And now with both parents gone, husband gone as well, no siblings, children grown or hitting midlife, oldest grandchildren starting college, young grandchildren who have never met their grandfather there are memories which only I have...Christmases long ago, growing up, young marriage, young parents, young children...memories which only I possess...precious precious ones...first smiles, giggles, first tooth, first steps...those firsts...

Those lessons which we learned...those promises we made...those things we experienced ...I thank God for each one, written or unwritten...

I think of the verse where John says ...

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

John 21:25 

We each have a written story which is not as long as Jesus’, it is long as well...some regretful, some  joyous, some just everyday living...it is ours...the paths we have taken, the trials we have faced, the rejoicing, the tears...

Thank YOU for your loving hand, heart in our lives... 

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

Psalm 9:1-2 

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17 

Hold mail...

Hold mail....

So, I am trying over and over to fill out the “hold mail” section in the USPS website...I have done it many, many times in the past with total success...no times without success...

This time, though, it automatically changes my end date and puts it in the start date with no way to return and change back to correct the date...so I try my iPad, my iPhone several times...no help...program is stuck...so,then I try to add a note under additional information, won’t let me add that because the dates are wrong, which won’t correct...😞...little me and big government or cyber space ( I finally was able to do it, after I did my Bible lesson)...why now, why me...

Okay, then I read my daily lesson, which I should have done In The first...a continuation of Job...ahh...

I realize my life has had its losses, heartaches, irritants, questions and seemingly no answers at times...I have wondered the same as he, “why”...Or am I as valuable as Job that Satan would even bother with me...and my life...

Later realizing that I do have value in the “whosoever “ of John 3:16...

But, back to Job...especially in Chapter 31:1-40, the “if’s” he raises in his pride...in my pride...in his questioning...in my questioning...he wanted answers...I wanted answers...

Then, Job 38:1-41...God answered...

My mind’s picture is a tiny person speaking, listening to the beauty of the universe, God...

“Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? 

Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! 

Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone — while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? 

“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?

Job 38:2-11

And on through verse 41...the almighty, all present...the all...

I am brought to tears that God cares, answers...speaks not only in bigness, but in my heart a quiet voice of love and care...He knows the beginnings, the way...the path...

My picture of the tiny person trying to communicate with big government about a computer glitch...holds nothing to the picture of me talking, asking God...listening, returning...to that voice of comfort, compassion...He Cares...bottom line...

Thank YOU...

The power of a song....

The power of a song...

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kelly-clarkson-blake-shelton-moved-173504161.html

This song will make you cry...guaranteed....especially for those who have lost someone in their lives...listen to the words...they are moving, healing...intro perspective...

We believers in eternal life gifted by God through faith in the Son...know that eternity awaits as we travel this short journey here on this earth...but losing someone, family, friends breaks our hearts even though we know their end here...their beginnings in heaven...

We still feel those loved ones at moments that are a surprise...an ambush...or just quiet or noisy times...times of huge decisions...or little heartfelt pieces of time...we love them even though they are not present...we may even get mad at them for not being there to share...or smile when we know they would miss sometime of value...

I think that when I watch our grandchildren who miss their grandfather or maybe never even know him...or events that I know he would relish, decisions I wish he were in on...friends whom would love to speak to him...

Or my parents or grandparents whom have all passed on...things with whom to share or see...I find myself thinking...”oh____ would love this”...wanting to share a special moment, place or thought...but, they aren’t here to do it...so I tell my Father instead...if he relays the message, I don’t know...

The psalm writers wrote so many songs...I find myself drawn to them in times of despair, defeat, joy...their power speaks to my soul...their praise lifts my heart...

Thank YOU....

A person finds joy in giving an apt reply — and how good is a timely word!

Proverbs 15:23 

Praise the Lord. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord .

Psalm 150:1-6

Widows...loss...

Widows...loss...

This message was very good...I wanted to share it...

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord . A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

Psalm 68:4-5

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked...psalm 146:9

Thank YOU....

“What Do Widows in the Bible Teach Us about Loss?

Dr. Julie Barrier 

My best friend Abby was widowed at 44. Her husband John passed away from sleep apnea. He was healthy. No warning. Four little faces greeted Mom at the breakfast table. They had no idea their Daddy was gone. Ten years later, Abby cautiously remarried.

Two years after she tied the knot, Abby’s second husband died following a gruesome battle with cancer. Abby loved and lost. Devastating!

Over 220,000 Americans died in World War II. Men and women who sent their loved ones into battle kissed their spouses goodbye never knowing if that goodbye would be their last.

According to wiserwomen.org, 50% of women will lose their spouses by age 65.

My Mom was happily married to my Dad for 63 years. She told me her deepest hurt was going to sleep at night in an empty bed. My mother-in-law lost her first husband in World War II. My husband Roger never knew of his Mom’s first marriage until long after his mother’s death. Helen never grieved openly, and because she hid her pain, she was fearful and angry most of her life.

How will you face the empty bed? The empty pew?

Many women tell me that losing a mate is like losing a limb. They have to redefine who they are and how they relate to others. Couple friendships may be awkward. Income may be reduced. It's a torturous, treacherous journey. Only by the grace of God can one survive it.

The Bible is filled with stories of widows. We can learn much from them.

Ruth and Naomi demonstrated two different ways of dealing with grief. Naomi cried, “Don’t call me Naomi (which means pleasant)” she told them. “Call me Mara (bitter) because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.” (Ruth 1:20)

Ruth, also heartbroken, showed incredible love and loyalty to her mother-in-law:

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17)

Ruth taught us two invaluable lessons about grief:

From Ruth, we learn to not grieve alone, and to face the future with faith.

Too often we pull away from comforters because we are afraid to show our weakness. Too often we turn away from God because we are angry with Him for taking away the love of our life.

Naomi wallowed in self-pity.

Ruth clung to her dear mother-in-law. She forsook the worship of Chemosh, the Semitic god she feared, for a life-long commitment to Yahweh, the God she had yet to know. The Moabite widow became a beloved wife, mother and the great-grandmother of Jesus.

Joppa’s widow Dorcas blessed others in her sorrow.

Instead of allowing her overwhelming loss to engulf her in self-pity, Dorcas used her solitary moments to minister to the poor:

“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor...

When he (Peter) arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.” (Acts 9:36-41)

Dorcas cultivated a community of widows, a safe place for women to share their pain and an outlet to use their gifts to help others.

God not only blessed Dorcas for her generosity and faithfulness, He raised her from the dead!

Anna continued to worship God through her loss.

The prophetess Anna is only mentioned in two short verses of the New Testament, but her story gives us the greatest inspiration in the loss of a spouse:

“There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36-38)

Anna, alone and probably destitute, lived her life worshipping God. She drenched the temple floor with her tears. How unfair to lose her family at such a young age! But Anna prayed and praised her entire life.

Her unfailing devotion to God was rewarded. Anna saw the Messiah and joyfully foretold His ministry and coming kingdom.

Anna probably lived 65 years without a husband. I’m sure there were mornings when she didn’t even want to get out of bed. But she kept coming back to God, giving Him glory day after day.

Christ created the church as a place of comfort, safety and service. Only in God’s presence do we find God’s healing and rest.

Ruth, Dorcas and Anna teach us that tragedy and loss does not have to define us.

Widows have the unique opportunity to experience God’s sweetest favor, (Psalm 68:5) protection, and blessing (Psalm 146:9)

“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy!” (Psalm 38:11)

Dr. Julie Barrier, along with her pastor-husband, Dr. Roger Barrier, have taught conferences on marriage and ministry in 35 countries. The Barriers are founders and directors of Preach It, Teach It providing free resources in 10 languages to 5 million visitors in 229 countries. The Barriers pastored 35 years at Casas Church in Arizona, Julie has served as a worship minister, concert artist and adjunct professor at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. She has authored or composed of over 500 published works.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tom-Merton

they refused to repent...

they refused to repent...

They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. 

and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. 

From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

Revelation 16:9,11,21

What a downer...those four words, “they refused to repent”...my heart cries for those I have known or know who feel that way...

This is what the Sovereign  Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. 

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 30:15,18 

How I long that those who refuse would turn from their self-centered or selfish ways to that quietness and trust in God for their salvation...repenting instead of refusing...please, Lord, pour out your compassion, kindness to bring more to You...thank YOU...

7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Luke 15:7 

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

Acts 3:19

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Romans 2:4

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

2 Corinthians 7:10

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9 

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Revelation 3:19-20 

News...

News...

Watching the news has become more and more of a trial for me it seems ...I just want news, facts without all the commentary, without any bias...news of everyday life around me or the world...not focused on one political party or another...not focused on one person or another...not focused on one city or another...

 I appreciate the local newspaper with news from all over the area...and rarely watch the national news channels...maybe my world is narrowing...it just seems like I find myself thinking more of the wicked and not the good....

This apparently is not a new phenomenon...David and Asaph must have  faced the same dilemma...reading through Psalms 37 and 73...

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 37

.....When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 73

Both came to the same conclusion....trust, seek, delight in...find counsel with, find sanctuary in, find strength in ....God...

The writer of Hebrews wrote...

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:19-25 

We struggle from generation to generation with the same problems...the news is the same, new names and faces ...but the answer is always the same as well...the Word is our sanctuary...the Holy Spirit with His truth...the Son with his salvation...thank YOU...

PSALM OF DAVID

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. 

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret —it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. 

A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. 

But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. 

The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. 

But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. 

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. 

The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. 

But the wicked will perish: Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke. 

The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed. 

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 

They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing. 

Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. 

For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; the offspring of the wicked will perish. 

The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just. 

The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip. The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death; but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned when brought to trial. 

Hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace. 

But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked. The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. 

The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

Psalm 37:1-40 

PSALM OF ASAPH

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 

They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. 

They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. 

Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits. 

They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. 

Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. 

Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?” This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. 

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. 

All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. 

If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 

Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. 

When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. 

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 

You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 

Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Psalm 73:1-28 

Joy...

Joy....

I read this devotion this morning and felt the need to share...

Wouldn’t it be great to awaken with joy each morning and carry it through all day long  o matter what comes?  There are many many verses which speak of joy...the book of Philippians is a book of joy...that deep long lasting joy which fills our soul...

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

Enjoy...

“Spurgeon was once criticized for putting too much laughter into his sermons. Frivolous. Lacking gravity. His reply to the woman who had button-holed him was classic: “My good lady, if you only knew how much I restrain myself.” This psalm shows us not only that “laughter” (Psalms 126:2) and God go together but also God and “joy” (Psalms 126:2-6). This psalm is written to help you discover the secret of joy.

Mistaken Notions of Joy

When the psalm refers to joy, it does not mean the tendency that some people have, because of their temperament, to be happier than other people. For one reason or another there appear to be people who are more naturally wired to smile, who can wake up in the morning singing a cheery song, and who look at their breakfast cereal and simply clap their hands with delight. You may feel sympathy with the Snoopy T-Shirt that was popular when Charlie Brown was all the rage—“I hate people who sing in the morning”—but then others get up early because they like it. Some people are morning people, some people are evening people, and some people seem to feel happier than others. They are wired that way. However, the joy here is not this matter of temperament.

Nor is this joy about faking it, the sort of pretend joy that plasters a smile on your face while inside you growl. Nor is it imposing joy on others by going up to someone who that moment discovered his best friend had a car accident and telling him to “rejoice in the Lord always,” to which the understandable reply might be, “Let me punch you in the nose and see how much rejoicing you’re doing then.” Nor is it the deep Christian joy that is so deep—soooo deep—that to find it you practically have to set up an oil well. Drilling, drilling, deeper, deeper, deeper. Ah, we have struck oil; there is a smile down there; it was deep Christian joy.

Living the Dream

No, this joy is not a matter of temperament (your natural predisposition), an experience that must be manufactured for yourself and other people (faking it), or something so deep that it is not really happy (where the smile goes down rather than up). Instead, this joy is a result of being “restored” by God (Psalms 126:1)—not happy because of your genetics but happy because of what God has done for you. This joy is based upon an objective, real, God-given restoration. And those who have this joy are “like those who dream” (Psalms 126:1). The ancient world, when it referred to dreams, did not, first of all, mean a daydream. They meant an actual dream, the sort of dream you have when you are asleep. So when the psalmist says this was like dreaming, he is comparing joy to a very good actual dream. He is saying that this joy is like that. This joy is so good that when you experience it you think, “I am living the dream.” Such is the joy that this psalm is talking about.

So throw away all ideas that joy is found in things apart from God, or that God is the serious, gloomy, despondent, negative, critical sort of religious freak who will smack you over the wrists with a wooden ruler as soon as you step out of line. This psalm, first, describes the dream and then, second, tells you how that dream comes true.

The Dream

First, the dream:

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then they said among the nations,

“The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Lord has done great things for us;

we are glad. (Psalms 126:1-3)

Zion, as the last chapter explained, stands for the whole story of the people of God that finishes in the heavenly Jerusalem—“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,” that is, when God brought back God’s people to where they should have been all along. Notice there is a parallel between Psalms 126:1and Psalms 126:4. Psalms 126:1says, “When the Lord restored” or “When God restored.” Verse 4 prays, “Restore our fortunes, O Lord” or “Please God restore.” So the first part of the psalm is the dream, what happened when God restored. The second part of the psalm is how to live the dream, asking God to restore your fortunes.

Being Restored

“Fortune” here doesn’t mean luck or chance. It is not saying, “I’ve been playing the gaming tables and finally I got lucky.” It is not saying, “I’ve been down on my luck and finally I got my lucky break.” The word “fortune” here mirrors the word “restore,” so “When the Lord restored our fortunes” (Psalms 126:1) means something like “When God restored us to a restored situation.” We find the same in Psalms 126:4, which is parallel: “Restore our fortunes, O Lord,” meaning, “Restore us to this restored situation, O Lord.” This matters because people think they are “living the dream” when they have bought a new vacation home or a whole new wardrobe from Savile Row. Truly such people are missing real joy. Joy is not financially living well or looking good. Joy is about being restored, that is, brought back to who you were designed to be.

Laughter

If joy is being restored, what is being restored like? “We were like those who dream.” What sort of dream? Now the dream is described: “Then our mouth was filled with laughter” (Psalms 126:2). See the laughter clearly in your mind. This laughter is not a little tweak of the lips. This is not a polite living-room chortle. This is not a snigger behind your hand. This is not a mild happy laugh. This is a slap-your-thigh burst-out in laughter, LOL, giggle fit. “Our mouth was filled with laughter”—wide open, yawning chasm, filled with laughter.

Wide-mouthed laughter is how the psalm describes the dream. This is not one of those church-bulletin blooper jokes you can find online. You know, “The epistles are wives of the apostles,” “The fifth commandment is humor thy father and mother,” “Lot’s wife was a pillar of salt by day but a ball of fire by night,” “Noah’s wife was Joan of Ark,” and the rest. This is tears rolling down your face, laughing out loud, together—not just “my own” but God’s people together—engaged in wide-open-mouthed laughter. This joy makes you laugh so hard that there is no room for anything else in your mouth!

Shouts

“And our tongue [was filled] with shouts of joy” (Psalms 126:2). Other versions translate this “songs�� (not shouts) of joy, but if it is singing, it is the volume you hear that lifts the roof at a sports stadium. This is the fist-pump shout when you score a touchdown, or hit a home run, or score straight A’s on your tests.

Witness

There is still more to this description of the dream: “Then they said among the nations ‘the Lord has done great things for them’” (Psalms 126:2). When they started laughing out loud, really loud, and shouting songs of joy, then everyone around looked at them and thought, “Whoa something good’s going on there. I want to be a part of that God thing.” The people of God agreed with this verdict: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad” (Psalms 126:3).

I do not think there is anyone who, if they truly understand this psalm, would not want the dream it describes. Whatever your temperament (morning person or not), whatever your situation (tough or easy), do you not desire to have a constant joy that is so amazing and so obvious that people all around you say, “I want some of that joy juice he’s on”? The dream is described as God’s restoring his people, which causes laughter, joy, and witness.

The Dream Come True

Second, the dream come true:

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

like streams in the Negeb!

Those who sow in tears

shall reap with shouts of joy!

He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalms 126:4-6)

Psalms 126:4-6develop a model of praying for the dream to come true and a contrast of what it is like when that dream does come true. To begin with, “Restore our fortunes, O Lord” (Psalms 126:4) mirrors the description that runs from Psalms 126:1-3of fortunes restored. Having described that dream in the first half of the psalm, now in the second half the psalm begins to model the surprising contrast of being restored.

Being restored is a contrast “like streams in the Negeb” (Psalms 126:4). Negeb means “parched” or “dry,” as in the southern part of the country. So “like streams in the Negeb” contrasts water with a desert. We find another contrast: “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalms 126:5-6). So tears contrasts with shouts of joy. Psalms 126:4-6, then, models asking God to restore his people. They tell us that God’s restoration contrasts water flowing in a desert and shouting with joy after crying. Let me explain this model and contrast of joy with the mnemonic H-A-P-P-Y.

H — Humility. Joy begins with humility. To say, “Restore, O Lord,” requires the humility to admit that you need restoring. Jesus said “Blessed [or happy] are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:3-6). This psalm is saying that restoration begins with having the humility to ask for it.

A – Advice. Notice it is “our” (Psalms 126:4), not “my,” fortunes. The psalmist is doing this in community. Let me make a pastoral sidebar here. In my view there is a medical condition called “clinical depression.” I have known people, very godly, holy people, who are clinically depressed. This is not because they are sinning. It is not because they are not praying enough or trying hard enough. It is because there is a medical condition called “clinical depression.” If you have felt sad for a long time, and you talk to someone who cares about you and knows you well and they say, “Well maybe you should go and see someone,” then just do it. You have nothing to lose other than your pride. That is different from being temperamentally slightly melancholic or Eeyore-like. That’s a personality type, a glass-half-empty kind of person. Fine. But if it’s more than that, get some advice.

P – Perspective. There is a perspective going on in this contrast. Negeb, streams flowing in the desert. Tears, leading to joy. So far in these Psalms of Ascent we have been through the dark side of the emotions, asking for help, now we are coming to the bright side of the emotions: joy, happiness, in God. The perspective here is the story line of the Bible. What we are really talking about is the gospel. So this is not merely a contrast of a cathartic effect—weeping then rejoicing. This is saying, “Because of who God is, because of what the gospel is, if you turn to God he will restore you.”

The story of the gospel is that God has come to rescue us in Christ. Part of experiencing true joy is keeping that perspective your perspective. It’s working hard at whatever is noble and true and thinking about such things (see Philippians 4:8). The point of Paul’s words there in Philippians is not just looking at a flower rather than at a depressing piece of news, though that can be wise at times. It is looking at the flower and asking, “What does that tell me about who God is as the creator?” It is asking, when you hear that bit of bad news, “What does that tell me about the fallen world, and how glad does that make me that God is going to make a new heaven and a new earth, and he is redeeming his people through the gospel?” Perspective, perspective. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his book Spiritual Depression says, “The trouble with Christians is they listen to themselves when they should talk to themselves.”1 Talk to yourself, that is, in the sense of adopting a gospel perspective of what is happening.

P – Prayer. This is a prayer: “Restore our fortunes, O Lord.” Some of us need to slow down to make room for prayer. Let me ask you a direct question: are you having a regular, daily quiet time? I don’t mean with four other people in the room in a Bible study, good as that is; or with your family in devotions, excellent as that is. I mean you on your knees or in your favorite chair, with the Bible open, quiet around, and connecting with God in prayer and saying, “Lord, would you restore me to joy?”

Y – You. I wrote a book called The God Centered Life, so why am I now talking about you?2 I am, because to be truly joyful, you (or “our,” as in the psalm; it is “you” in the plural) need to be restored to who you were designed to be. It is restoration, coming back to the way you were meant to be as designed by God. It is a God-centered you. The gospel enables you to become you as you were meant to be, the new creation. It is to be reconciled to God, to be in Christ and Christ in you, to have your sins removed and his righteousness yours as you are in Christ. This restoration happens as you become a Christian; it happens more and more as you follow Christ.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were out camping. Holmes woke up Watson in the middle of the night and pointed up at the stars. Watson blinked the sleep out of his eyes as Holmes asked what he deduced. Watson said, “Well, astronomically, I deduce there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I deduce that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Meteorologically, I deduce that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What about you, Holmes,” he said, “what do you deduce?” “Watson” said Holmes slowly, “I deduce that someone has stolen our tent.”

Joy is both very complex and very simple. I studied the Puritans at Cambridge University. My teacher was a senior, eminent professor toward the end of his career, a brilliant man. I remember talking to him once about the caricature of Puritans as a dour and despondent lot, the puritanical myth. He said to me, “Whenever you meet a Puritan [he used the present tense meet, for he knew that there are still Puritans today, even if they wear jeans and have tattoos instead of wide brimmed hats and buckled shoes], you meet a happy person.”

We tend to think that being happy is being trite, and the more miserable we are, the more profound we must be. Nothing could be further from the truth. God’s ultimate destiny for us who will believe is not miserable profundity but joyful severity, a thrill that reverberates with the truth that “God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4). For those who will put their trust in God that is their destiny, and it is one filled with joy.”

Notes

1. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmanns, 1965).

2. Josh Moody, The God-Centered Life: Insights from Jonathan Edwards for Today (Vancouver: Regent, 2007).