From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Wed, Jan 5, 2022 at 5:53 AM

Subject: 1-5-22 THOUGHTS

1-5-22   THOUGHTS

Psalm 77a
My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud; My voice rises to God, and He will hear me. 2  In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness; My soul refused to be comforted. 3  When I remember God, then I am disturbed; When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah.  4  You have held my eyelids open;I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5  I have considered the days of old, The years of long ago. 6  I will remember my song in the night; I will meditate with my heart, And my spirit ponders: 7  Will the Lord reject forever? And will He never be favorable again? 8  Has His lovingkindness ceased forever? Has His promise come to an end forever? 9  Has God forgotten to be gracious, Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah. 10  Then I said, "It is my grief, That the right hand of the Most High has changed."

Either David is sad because God has changed, or more likely, David’s view of God from the eyes of extreme grief, has caused him to see God as absent!  David changes the way he sees things in the remainder of this psalm.  Please see that David moves from his “Pity Party” to a positive view of all that God is and has done!  LIFE IS HERE CHURCH!  WHEN TEARS OVERWHELM MY HEART, THINGS ARE BAD.  WHEN THERE IS A SONG IN MY HEART...  LIFE IS GOOD!

Psalm 77b
11  I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12  I will meditate on all Your work And muse on Your deeds. 13  Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? 14  You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your strength among the peoples. 15  You have by Your power redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.  16  The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were in anguish; The deeps also trembled. 17  The clouds poured out water; The skies gave forth a sound; Your arrows flashed here and there. 18  The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. 19  Your way was in the sea And Your paths in the mighty waters, And Your footprints may not be known. 20  You led Your people like a flock  By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Jas 5:13  Is anyone among you suffering? [Then] he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.

A larger perspective:   Rev 19:5-6    And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.  6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

My Prayer:
May we sing the songs of redemption and of your majesty.  May our grief and sadness give way to your goodness and love.  Let our minds overcome our circumstances, O Lord.    Be our life O God.          In Jesus precious name     Amen