Psalm 137:3 - A sad story

for there our captors asked us for songs,
     our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
     they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

Psalm 137 is a sad story. Apparently the Israelites had fallen to the Edomites and they were asked to sing their songs of worship as entertainment for their captors. They asked to loose their skill of playing the harp and singing if they did not remember Jerusalem. How painful to have something meant for God to be twisted and misused.

Lord, Thank you for hearing us all the time, especially in our pain. Please help us to trust you no matter what. Amen.

Psalm 119:143 - Our rock

Trouble and distress have come upon me,
     but your commands give me delight.

There will always be trouble and distress. There will always be things in our lives and things in the world that are difficult to bear. The blessing for the believer is the constancy of truth. It is our rock and even in the storm, the rock does not move. It is something to firmly hold on to in times of trouble and a place to find rest, peace and even joy.

Lord, thank you for your word and and the stability it brings to our lives. Please help us to cling to the truth in times of distress, Amen.

Psalm 105:25 - Hate...for a purpose?

whose hearts he turned to hate his people,
     to conspire against his servants.

Psalm 105 is a brief history of the Jewish people from Joseph to Moses and the exodus from Egypt. Verse 25 explains that God turned the hearts of the Egyptians against his people. It is frustrating when someone doesn't like us. It may not be as extreme as and entire nation hating another, but either way it can make our lives miserable. We may question ourselves and allow it to destroy our lives. But we never know what God's plans are. In the case of the Israelites, God was actually causing the hate. It was a part of his plan to get his people out of Egypt. God can use any negative in our lives for good. Sometimes we see the final result and it all makes sense. Sometimes we don't, but the thing to remember is our job is to focus on God and glorifying his name.

Lord, thank you for your plan in our lives. Please help us to be patient and focus on you when life is difficult. Amen.

Genesis 39:20-21 - Thriving in difficult situations

Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Through no fault of his own, Joseph was sent to prison. How would you react? He could have thrown a fit and demanded justice. He could have sulked and been angry with God. Instead, Joseph apparently accepts this new situation and thrives. The Lord was with him each step of his journey to this point and will continue to be with him. The Lord also promises to be with us on each step of our journey. We only have to trust in him and allow him to guide us no matter the situation in which we find ourselves.

Lord, thank you for taking care of us and for being with us. We know we can expect hard times in life, but you promise to get us through these times. Please help us to rely on you. Amen. 

Genesis 6:5-8

5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Have you ever been this discouraged? God was so frustrated he wanted to scrap the whole thing. We can thank Noah for his faithfulness.  Without it, humanity would be no more. When we are frustrated, can we find one good thing to keep us going? The project may require a total renovation, but it may be worth saving.

Lord, thank you for giving humanity another chance. I want to be like Noah and find favor in your eyes. Lord, please give us your wisdom in dealing with frustrating situations. Amen.