The Lord Has Done Great Things!

SCRIPTURE

Psalm 126 (NRSV)
Prayer for restoration

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 it was said among the nations,
"The Lord has done great things for them."
The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.



DEVOTION

When I was growing up, one of the things I loved most about worship was “testimony time!”
When we did this, a Christian would stand up and give glory to God by sharing with the church family how God had blessed their lives.

I was taught that giving your testimony in church—or elsewhere—should not be a form of bragging, but rather a means of encouraging others to trust in God.

I have heard countless testimonies all around the country and every time I hear a believer praising God for a miraculous deliverance, I get happy-glad inside.

In my tradition we have an expression that explains my giddiness. We say, “If God did it for me, God can surely do it for you!”

In today’s Bible passage the psalmist says, “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 it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them." The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.”

Hallelujah!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been up and I’ve been down, but God has never left me, forsaken me, or abandoned me to my sin.

Every time I have ever imagined that I was truly sunk, God has always been there to throw me a lifeline of love, mercy, and grace.

I believe that there is someone in each of our lives who needs to hear our testimonies! Each of us has a family member, friend, co-worker, or neighbor who needs to know that God loves them so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.

In this CHRISTmas season, we have the perfect opportunity to share the good news about Jesus! As we see our neighbors trimming their trees, stringing the lights, and hanging the holly, we can humbly and graciously remind them of the true meaning of CHRISTmas!

Advent means “to wait.”

We are waiting on the celebration of Jesus’ birthday on December 25th and we are waiting for Jesus’ sure return in glory on the day of God’s choosing.

But, dear friends, let us make our waiting active and not passive! We can actively wait by fasting, praying, reading scripture, testifying, and serving others in this holy season.

As we love people into the arms of Jesus, we will find that our time spent waiting, has been put to good use!

Lord, use us as instruments of your peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.



THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html