Saturday, January 6 2018

Saturday, January 6, 2018

I woke this morning with a song in my heart. It is a decades-old praise song from HIllsong, You Have Turned My Mourning Into Dancing. While I was planning on a quiet day of reflection, I just can’t help but study the Word and share. I pray the Word will bless you today as it is blessing me!

Scripture:

Psalm 30

Joy Comes with the Morning

1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
² O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
³ O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

⁴ Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
⁵ For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

⁶ As for me, I said in my prosperity,
    “I shall never be moved.”
⁷ By your favor, O Lord,
    you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
    I was dismayed.

⁸ To you, O Lord, I cry,
    and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
⁹ “What profit is there in my death,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
¹⁰ Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
    O Lord, be my helper!”

¹¹ You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
¹² that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Jeremiah 31:4, 12-14

Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.

They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord.”

Revelation 21:4

“…He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Devotional:

I don’t know who this is for. I do know that if you are reading this, you have a child with serious parenting challenges. In our house, with a son affected by severe autism, and a daughter with a strong will, sensory issues and social challenges, we walk out daily trials and struggles. If you, like me, are walking out some serious, painful, and overwhelming circumstances, God by His enduring Word wants to touch you where you are. It is not by accident you are the parent to the children you have. It is not by accident that you are walking out the journey you are. I don’t know when the morning of joy is coming, but I know that God’s eternal purposes are being wrought and that our eternal home will be free from these. Jesus said, “…in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33). Do not give up, my sisters and my brothers. Do not let the dark night blind you to the fact that joy, indeed, will come in the morning! For me, this can come in waves and cycles. God is faithful and loving to provide days that are like standing on a mountaintop, and the view for miles is of His incredible works and amazing answers to prayer. Other days are hard, to be honest. We are in this world for now…but don’t lose hope! In this world we will also have the morning of dancing. You are beloved, chosen, appointed and wanted. You are backed by the God of the Universe, and the best parent there is. He is here to father you so that you can parent these children! He wants to partner and walk alongside you as you press in and trust him that the morning is coming!

Prayer:

Thanksgiving:

Oh, great God of heaven and earth,  I thank You for taking the time to minister joy to me this day. You have turned my mourning into dancing, You have turned my sorrow into joy! I bless You and honor You and lift my hands and heart in Your name, Lord.

Confession:

I confess my heart before You, kind and merciful King. I approach You with confidence by the blood of the Lamb. I give You my fears, pride, and wrong attitudes. (Take time to allow the Lord to examine your heart, and let Him show you areas that you might be holding back from Him. He desires to heal you from within.)

Supplication:

I lift my needs to You today and thank You that it is Your desire to perfect that which concerns me (Psalm 138:8). I pray for Your grace and mercy on the areas that I am struggling with today. I release them into Your hands and trust You that You will make all things right as I surrender to Your will (Serenity Prayer). (Take time to journal your needs and requests. Take time to celebrate victories, progress and answers to prayer.)

Intercession:

I lift my family to You today for Your intervention. I lift them individually and as a whole for Your mercy and grace. Cover us with Your protection, healing, mercy, grace and love in abundance today. (Take time to journal needs, requests, concerns, progress and victories for your spouse and your children. Even a few lines a day will give you a beautiful record of the goodness of God working in your home!)

 Thanksgiving and Consecration:

God, I thank You and praise You for prompting this time in Your word! Bless each heart that is meeting together here today. As we press in to You, transform us. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!

Blessing and Benediction:

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.