Psalm 107:23-38
September 13, 2022
Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
How often have you and I witnessed someone who going through deep waters of pain and loss and crying out to the Lord, for relief and making promises but as soon as they received the peace that they asked for, they forgot all that they had promised the Lord? But I now can share that Jan and I have experienced those deep stormy winds and as our courage melted away, I often cried out to the Lord, I do not know what to do, please show me what to do! Jan, Nat, and I clung to the Lord, and He brought us the Victoria we longed for. I know that as the Lord brought us into our desired haven, of being able to walk out of Sun Dance a rehab center, and allowing me to come home, we have not stopped giving God the praise.
He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground,
a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants.
He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing, they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish.
We live in a very evil time, where good is called evil and evil is referred to as good. We were told in the Scriptures that on the last days people would not put up with truth, but have ears to only hear what their evil hearts desired. Now if Jesus does not know the hour of His return for His bride the Church, then none of us do either, but Jesus has told us what must happen before He returns, and we are witnesses of that taking place. In Matthew's gospel, verses 3-14, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
No comments:
Post a Comment