Let everyone give all their praise and thanks to the Lord!
Here’s why—he’s better than anyone could ever imagine.
Yes, he’s always loving and kind, and his faithful love never ends.
So, go ahead—let everyone know it!
Tell the world how he broke through
and delivered you from the power of darkness and
has gathered us together from all over the world.
He has set us free to be his very own!
Some of us once sat in darkness,
living in the dark shadows of death.
We were prisoners to our pain, chained to our regrets.
For we rebelled against God’s Word
and rejected the wise counsel of God Most High.
So he humbled us through our circumstances,
watching us as we stumbled, with no one there to pick us back up.
Our own pain became our punishment.
Then we cried out, “Lord, help us! Rescue us!” And he did!
His light broke through the darkness and
he led us out in freedom from death’s dark shadow
and snapped every one of our chains.
So lift your hands and give thanks to God for his marvelous kindness
and for his miracles of mercy for those he loves! (Psalm 107:1-3, 10-15 TPT)
Last week I attended a Jason Gray concert at a local venue. I’d heard his songs on the Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) radio stations, but I was only vaguely familiar with his music before the concert, and didn’t know anything about his story. Sometimes a concert can be boring if the solo singer with their instrument is nothing like their recorded music. However, this concert was not boring, partly because you could tell he had been a children’s minister. He had the facial expressions, body language, and storytelling ability to prove that. In addition, his musicianship and songwriting gave him a body of songs that were not only entertaining, but meaningful. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the concert.
One of the (several) topics he talked about was suffering. He told the story of an older woman who had fought – and beat – cancer not once or twice, but EIGHT times! As he was telling other stories between songs, first he mentioned his girlfriend, then his children, then his “brutal” divorce. Finally, he said that, although he would never have chosen the really hard things – like divorce- he was grateful for how God had used them to shape him. He quoted Robert Gary Lee, “Wisdom is nothing more than healed pain.”
Some suffering comes from our own choices, some from the choices of others, and some for reasons we may not understand this side of heaven. Some is a result of or a part of a type of battle we face. In all of it, God is present. We may not perceive him, we may shut him out, and we may not be able to acknowledge him. But his Light can break through our darkness. He can – and will! – lead us out from shadow and (literal or physical) death into freedom. God often uses our struggles, battles, and even suffering in the process of shaping us into the image of Jesus. Is this process easy? Generally, it is not. Is it worth it? Yes. We develop God’s strength and endurance within us. And as God heals our pain he gives us his great wisdom.
Today, let us seek God, especially in the hard places, and allow him to teach us what we need to know.
We give thanks to you, Lord, for you are good. Your compassion and lovingkindness endure forever. You do wonderful things for your children, satisfying parched throats, and filling hungry bellies. You hear the cries of those in sin who desire freedom – and you free us! We thank you for stories that remind us that, even in the midst of deep darkness and severe suffering you are present. We thank you for the strength to endure the battle, and your leadership that – when we let you – will shape us so we are more like Jesus. Today we ask that you would encourage, strengthen, guide, and give great endurance to those in a battle. We pray for those who are walking through “brutal” divorces, and pray your grace would be greater than all the chaos. We pray that you will heal us and give us your great wisdom. We thank you for what you are doing in our lives, even when cannot see it, and pray all these things in the strong name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His compassion and lovingkindness endure forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men!
For He satisfies the parched throat,
And fills the hungry appetite with what is good.
Some dwelt in darkness and in the deep (deathly) darkness,
Prisoners [bound] in misery and chains,
Because they had rebelled against the precepts of God
And spurned the counsel of the Most High.
Therefore He humbled their heart with hard labor;
They stumbled and there was no one to help.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He saved them from their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the deep (deathly) darkness
And broke their bonds apart.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonderful acts to the children of men! (Psalm 107:1-2, 8-15 AMP)