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“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,” Psalm 30:11
In Old Testament times when people were in deep distress they would put on sackcloth and wail in anguish. This was particularly true when they mourned over the death of a loved one. As it is today, this was perhaps the deepest agony of all. Death brings with it the loss of dreams, the loss of companionship and the loss of hope for the future.
In Psalm 30 David recounts the many times that God has delivered his people from a variety of disappointments and tragedies. In verse 11 of this song of praise he tells us how, in the midst of their agony God brought them joy. The rough and uncomfortable clothing of sackcloth became clothing of joy and comfort. Their songs of agony became songs of praise.
As we travel along the journey we call life there are many times when tragedy comes upon us. It can be the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job or a broken relationship. People we trust let us down. We let people down we trust and love dearly. We grow old and change becomes harder to adjust too. Health and financial woes remove our hopes and dreams.
How we react to the hard times of life is really up to us. We can dwell on the pain or we can allow God to turn even our own most desperate times into a time of joy and comfort. How we respond to adversity is largely dependent on our view of God and of ourselves.
If we allow the words and actions of other people to determine how we feel about ourselves and God then we will feel the pain of life’s disappointments. Life will seem hopeless. Pain and discomfort will be the rule of our days and sleeplessness will spend the night with us.
If we realize God’s great love and provision for us then we enable Him to make our darkest times to be times of comfort and joy. It is only God that can take the sackcloth of our mistakes and the abuse of others and turn it to joy. It is only through God’s love that we can endure the hardship of tragedy that comes our way.
You are a child of the God of the universe. You are His most cherished possession and the apple of His eye. Leave the ashes and sackcloth of yesterdays mistakes and abuse be replaced with the comfort of God’s love for you. Replace the wailing for the failures and tragedies of the past with praise for the fact that through faith in Jesus Christ you will see a better tomorrow.
You won’t find lasting joy here on earth through relationships, toys, wealth, power or popularity. Lasting joy comes only through complete faith in Jesus and the realization of God’s great love for you.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I’m in such turmoil today. You know the pain I’m feeling. You know the mistakes and tragedies of my past that handcuff me. I’m trapped by feelings of hopelessness and despair. To be honest there have been times of late when I’ve doubted your love or even your presence. I ask that you would empower me through faith in Jesus and the power of your Spirit to clothe myself with your joy and comfort even as I walk through these dark and lonely times. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)
There is an old saying that states “Beauty is only skin deep.” Its meaning dates to that 15th century and has since then stood as a reminder to each of us that how a person looks is not nearly as important as what is inside. The person dressed in fancy, designer clothes may be more socially acceptable in their looks than the person with tattoos and pants hanging below their knees on the outside. However, the tattooed person may be more likely to lend a helping hand and give unconditionally to a cause or to help someone in distress.
The true character of a person is shown by how they react in times of adversity and despair. The prophet Isaiah says that those who mourn will show forth beauty. Mourning is an interior thing. It’s a feeling of remorse and despair that starts well below the surface, but beauty is what is seen on the outside.
Despair is captivates the entire body and can affect how we feel, act and respond to others. Praise on the other hand is obvious to all. Praise isn’t necessarily a physical showing of activity. It is more of a confident assurance that what we believe is true.
The prophet goes on to say that the people who exhibit beauty and praise are like oak trees, standing strong through the storm. Their roots hold fast in any stormy weather because they are grounded deep in righteousness. But that righteousness doesn’t come from themselves, it comes because of the faith they have in God through His Son Jesus Christ.
Standing firm when life attacks has nothing to do with our own strength. It has nothing to do with our past. It has nothing to do with our upbringing or the name of our church. It’s not about being baptized or any other religious activity. Standing firm comes solely through faith in Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
The Bible says that our very best behavior and our most devout spiritual beliefs are like filthy rags to God. Nothing in our past can save us or damn us. No present activities in this present time can hinder us or sustain us. It’s God’s grace and God’s forgiveness the makes us righteous. It is God’s Spirit that empowers us to stand firm.
True character is shown by how a person endures the storms of life, not by how they act when things are going right. Grow your roots deep in Jesus. Study His word. Pray often. Fellowship with like-minded believers. It is these things that will enable your true beauty to show forth in times of fear, anxiety and despair.
PRAYER: Father God, I come to you today confused, angry and afraid. I don’t know what tomorrow holds and I’m afraid what lay ahead. Forgive me for the way I’ve ignored you. Strengthen me with your Spirit so that when life’s storms attack I can rely on the roots of my standing with you. I want to be an Oak tree in the midst of a storm so others will see you through me. Amen.
At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” Ruth 2:10
Stereotypically speaking, we guys are supposed to run frantically at the mere mention of a love story. But the story of Ruth and Naomi has always been one of my favorite Bible stories. Imagine for a moment what it must have been like for Naomi. Like any mom, she watched her boys grow with hopes of having grandchildren running around the hut someday, hearing the little pitter-patter of feet on the clay floor, etc. etc.
Naomi and her husband moved with their two sons to a far off land due to famine. Naomi’s husband died and left her alone, as a widow. Hard as that must have been for her, she still had hope since her sons had married two wonderful women that Naomi loved dearly. Someday she would be cared for by her sons and she, in turn, could be the grandma she always hoped to be. Then tragedy struck. Both sons died. Naomi was left alone in a foreign land with no family and no hope. Her only recourse was to return to her homeland and hope to find family, and perhaps a life.
One of her daughters-in-law, Ruth, insisted that she go with Naomi. She would rather die with Ruth than to stay in her homeland. That’s loyalty. That’s love! The story gets better when Ruth goes out into the fields and begins to pick up grain after the harvesters came through. She’s noticed by the owner of the field who happens to be related to Naomi. Ruth and found favor in the eyes of Boaz. They fell in love and got married. Naomi finally got her grandson and little could she know that her great-great grandson would be King of Israel. His name? David!
That’s how God works sometimes. He seems to wait until the last possible moment to ‘rescue’ us from bad situations. Naomi could have given up. Ruth could have stayed home and remarried someone from her homeland. Both of these women stepped into the unknown, gave up what little they had and trusted God for the rest. In the midst of their darkest hour God not only provided their immediate needs, He used this situation for good years down the road! We can never know how our decisions for God today will impact our tomorrows.
Don’t let the enemy discourage you. God can use you where ever you are and in whatever circumstance you are in for His glory. Boaz looked on Ruth with favor for no apparent reason and changed Naomi’s and her future. In the same way, God looks on each of His children with favor and wants to change your world. He is preparing you today for whatever you will need to face tomorrow.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, the story of Ruth is one more reminder to me that you are an Awesome God of love and provision. Forgive me for the times I fail to remember how much you love me. Help me to live with the realization that my decisions for today will have an eternal impact on those who go behind me. Help me to trust you completely as I make choices that will draw others into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 