Hopes of Tomorrow
4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
"I will never be shaken."
7 O LORD, when you favored me,
you made my mountain [a] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 "What gain is there in my destruction, [b]
in my going down into the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
O LORD, be my help."
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.
Bee's Thoughts:
"Life is bleak when you have nothing to look forward to." - Daily Bread
When I read the above statement, I asked myself: What or who is it that I am looking forward or hope to see?
I paused and think for a moment.... Of course, to see Christ is my main hope.
But one more person I like to see is the one who loves Jesus and me very much, the one whom I like to be with forever.
As 1 Corinthians 13:7 says, love "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres". When we love someone, we will always protect the person from harm, will always trust him/her, will always hope, and will always persevere to the end. So hope is the result of love.
Yes, love brings hope... something we can look forward to. It's like in verse 5, "weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning". When our hope comes through it's like the morning joy.
Sometimes I felt as if God has hidden His face from me and I was really miserable (v7). Yet when I cried to Him for mercy, He "turned my wailing into dancing and "removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy" (v11). My recent experience testifies of this. To God be the glory!
Dear Lord,
Thank You again for removing my tears and give me peace and joy that surpasses all understanding. Thank You for the hope I can have in You. You know my longings and my hopes. I pray that soon my hopes will become a reality. Keep me faithful as I wait patiently.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Tommy's Thoughts:
Like the Psalmist, we need to approach God with an honest, humble and grateful heart. Though the current pain and ‘mourning’ are real and hard for us, we can still trust God and have the confidence that we are in His good hand.
When we stay close to God, we are also assured of Him knowing what’s best for us; freeing us from unnecessary worries and uncertainties. Instead of being silent with bitterness and self-pity, we need to cry out to God for mercy and grace (v8) to endure and to submit to His will for us. God, who is always faithful, will delivers and gives us true, everlasting joy.
Dear Father, thank You for the hope and certainty I found in You. Thank You for Your promises that provide the peace and strength for me to keep going despite the ‘hurdles’ and setbacks. Lord, I pray that You’ll continue to have mercy on me, guiding me to the right path in my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
