Shalom,
Psalm 92:4-5:
4 For You, O LORD, have made me glad by your works; at the deeds of Your hands I joyfully sing. 5 How great are Your doings, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep.
The word "glad" is the Hebrew word "samach", which means: to cheer up, to make glad, to rejoice, to exult. It usually refers to a spontaneous emotion or extreme happiness expressed in some visible and/or external manner. This is sometimes accompanied by singing, dancing and music. Have YOU thought enough today about the wonderful works of God that you just spontaneously started to sing, dance and rejoice at the very thought of it? If not, WHY NOT! He is great and worthy to be praised! If we can't rejoice over the things we CAN see that He has done, how can we possibly stand strong in faith for the things we can't see yet? Spend time in His "deep" thoughts and you will find yourself overjoyed with Who He is and all that He has already done!
In Luke 13:34-35, Jesus had this to say to Jerusalem:
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who continue to kill the prophets and to stone those who are sent to you! How often I have desired and yearned to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen [gathers her young under her wings, but you would not! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken (abandoned, left to you destitute of God's help)! And I tell you, you will not see Me again until the time comes when you shall say, Blessed (to be celebrated with praises) is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!
When we visited Israel and stood on the Mount of Olives, looking down toward the road that led to the Old City, near the garden of Gethsemane, I was overwhelmed with the knowing of what the heart of Jesus felt like when He did the same thing! When He made this statement He knew what they would do to Him when He did enter the city, but He went anyway! WHY? Because He loves YOU!!! He would have done what He had to do if you or I had been the only people to ever need a Saviour! He loves us so much RIGHT NOW that He gave us His Word so we could get to know Him better and to learn to appropriate ALL that this New Covenant, cut in His own Blood, provides for us! Don't treat what came at such a high and precious price, to Him, as anything but worth every bit of your time and energy and resources! Treasure His Word and share the Good News. THAT is a life worth living!
Zephaniah 1-3 addresses the coming judgments but also reminds the people of the Covenant keeping God! Zephaniah 3:14-17:
14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice, be in high spirits and glory with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem [in that day]. 15 [For then it will be that] the LORD has taken away the judgments against you; He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, even the LORD [Himself}, is in the midst of you; [and after He has come to you] you shall not experience or fear evil any more. 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not, O Zion. Let not your hands sink down or be slow and listless. 17 The LORD your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing.
THIS is the promise to Israel, that no matter what things take place on the Earth, God will ALWAYS come through for His Covenant people who will stand on His Word! Even if the entire world comes against Israel, God Himself will vindicate this nation! Soon and very soon we believers will be taken out of the earth and into Heaven! At that time God's wrath will be poured out on the Earth and there will be much destruction! BUT, through it all, God will deliver Israel out of the hands of ALL of it's enemies! Hallelujah! OUR GOD REIGNS!
Shalom in Him!
