Psalm 146:7 “He upholds the cause of the oppressed…”

[You, Heavenly Father, with the resurrection of Jesus, went right to the core of the issue and provided the most important of our needs: an escape from the three foundational sources of oppression: Satan, sin and self. All other oppression we experience flows out of these.

Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, for paying the price of great, deep, profound, excruciating suffering to provide the only possible way out from this oppression: your death and resurrection. Praise you that daily you give grace, guidance and goodness to your children in the midst of every oppression so we can let go of what is temporary, hold on to what is eternal and rise above whatever difficulties come to us.

You bring each one help on every level: “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psa. 34:18).

And most importantly you offer the opportunity for all to enter your Kingdom: “when he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world [everyone] of sin, righteousness, and judgment…” (John 16:8-10) and “…whosoever believes should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16b).

Barbara is out of the hospital and back home! We are so thankful. This progress makes today’s devotional very relevant for us!

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Written10 years ago in the midst of Barbara’s debilitating illness  of chronic Lymesdisease and depression, and the deterioration it brought]. In the midst of this difficult time we want to continue to follow Habakkuk’s example in Habakkuk 3:17-19

“Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

“YET I will REJOICE in the LORD, (Yahweh)

I will BE JOYFUL in God (Elohim) my Savior.

[these are acts of the will, leading Habakkuk’s emotions to the proper place of rest in God.]

Like Habakkuk, in the midst of my wife’s difficulties, I choose to rejoice in you, Lord, for you are good always, you are the source of our joy–not our having things go the way we want.

As I praise you for what you are going to do in Barbara’s illness, Lord. I can let go of the negatives and cling to you. I praise you for what you are doing, for what you are planning, for what you will work out, as you did with Old Testament Joseph in all he suffered.

Help us all to respond as Joseph did, trusting you, bringing glory to your name, and healing to our souls. I thank you for the unseen things you are going to accomplish through this, for the good that you will draw out of it. I ask for your guidance in what I should do to join your purposes.

Picture: us in hospital just before coming home

More from Psalm 107

“Some wandered in desert wastelands,”

[when we reject your truth and go our own way, we dwell in dry and parched lands of our own making, far from the green pastures you have for us.]

“finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.”

[When on our own path, we go from one bad decision to the next. We search for emotional and physical sustenance but find none; instead we grow weaker and weaker. Everything goes downhill because we are far from your way.]

“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,”

[When we finally saw that our selfish way was not good, that our weak wisdom was insufficient, that our strength was too little to escape condemnation, then we cried out to you.]

“and he delivered them from their distress.”

[You, Lord, in your goodness, were right there, waiting for us to come to our senses, to see our need, to cry out to you. You were ready to help as soon as we were ready to receive. You plucked us out of our distress and inserted us into your forgiveness, your family and your future plans.]

“He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.”

[You, Lord, know the way to shelter and are very willing, even  eager to lead us to it, if only we will follow. Thank you that You give us wisdom, insight, security and community, all we need to prosper.]

When God commands us to do something, it is always for the best. An example is His expression found in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, WILL GUARD your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This is especially true for me today, as Barbara has had a relapse, again unable to walk, think or talk. It’s off to the ER again while we offer thanks for what God is going to do now.

These truths are reiterated in an article in the latest Reader’s Digest, entitled “The Goodness of Gratitude,” saying, “people who wrote thank you letters or performed good deeds for a six-week period decreased their pain, upped their energy, accomplished more every day, and improved their mental health for up to six months. And you can reap these benefits at any age.”

God’s wisdom is far deeper than we can imagine! It is our privilege and responsibility to live out Psalm 50:23 (“He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me and opens the way that I may show him the salvation of the Lord” by making every day a “Thanksgiving Day.”

Do yourself and many others a good turn and offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving in each event, especially the ones you don’t like—then watch God work!

Updater: after a very good day yesterday, Barbara was not feeling well today, but still is able to walk on herf own and perform basic tasks. I am pleased. Thank you all for your prayers.d

Taken from Edified:  The importance of obeying this command came home to me as I realized I’d become “mechanical” in my quiet time; then this verse came to my attention: “seek my face…” (2 Chr. 7:14).

We do this as we daily spend time with Him, our Bridegroom, nurturing our first love for Him, gazing upon His loveliness, focusing on His beauty rather than on four busyness. Following is an example of focusing on Him.

“I will tell of all your wonders” (Ps. 9:1b). Great and many are your wonders, O Lord, beginning with your character:

You are Love, Light and Life.

In you there is Purity, Perfection, and Power.

You are filled with Greatness, Grace and Goodness.

You are Immortal, Invisible and Invincible.

In you alone are Righteousness, Riches and Rightness.

You are Mighty, Magnificent and Marvelous.

You are Holiness, wholeness and wholesomeness.

You are merciful in Justice, munificent in giving, multifaceted in character.

You are the good God, our gracious Lord, and great Sovereign.

You are without beginning, without end and without time.

You are the One and only God who has won every battle.

You are a wonder, you are worthy, you are to be worshiped,

Glory be to you both now and forever!

Help us, Lord, to seek your face every day!

This magnificent sun rise embodies the beauty of our God!