When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:1-6
There is an old idiom or expression that says, “a lick and a promise”, which means something done hurriedly, most often incompletely, with the intent to return to do it later. So many people today, young or old I’m seeing, operate in that vein. However, the Psalmist tells us, not so with God, He’s not in a rush but can do it suddenly and when He does a thing, He does it in His time, and He does it thoroughly and completely. He doesn’t have the objective to come back and do it later once He’s started. So, as Zion would find out in our passage today.
David pens this psalm of conversion as a song, a prayer, and a promise. He tells of how God reversed the captivity of Zion; the entire city was in need of deliverance. They felt as if they must have been dreaming because this was too good to be true. Us? Delivered and set free from captivity? They were so overwhelmed and didn’t expect what was being done for them. The scripture says their mouths were filled with laughter and their tongues with singing. Have you ever had something happen to you that you felt like you were having an outer body experience? You felt as if you must be dreaming or it was just too good to be true? Maybe, that’s just me. But God had heard their cry and had answered beyond belief. They even asked for the turn or reversal in their captivity to be as a stream, a constant and continuous flow of blessings.
Conversion from captivity means that there is a certain change that happens in the atmosphere when deliverance comes. You can’t explain it and you certainly can’t describe the joy you feel when you have been set free from a situation which has kept you bound, whether self-inflicted or not; nothing like the elation you feel when you are free from your circumstance, free from trouble, free from doubt, free from stress, or free from depression and anxiety. I can’t imagine how they felt being held in captivity, but all of us have been bound at one point or another by something or someone. We know how it feels to have been freed from that bondage. I love how God even encourages His children even in those times; Isaiah says in chapter 35, Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ And he goes on to say, “… for in the wilderness waters shall break out, and streams in the deserts.” The Lord will come and He shall make a way of escape for you.
For Zion, God’s mercy was so unexpected, and so awesome that they couldn’t form the words to describe it, the reaction was in such a way that the only way to explain it was by jumping, screaming, dancing, singing, and shouting for joy. That would definitely be my reaction as well because this was no small thing that the Lord had done. Zion had been sowing tears, but now they were reaping joy and a harvest of gladness. Now, they were singing songs of happiness because the Lord had redeemed and restored them. They were no longer bound and had been set free. The Lord lets us know also that no matter what we are going through that He hears our cry and sees our tears; He will answer because His mercy and His grace is everlasting. If you have been sowing tears, you are about to reap joy… and I won’t even tell you about your harvest or what it is about to yield! I will say get ready as the Lord begins to pour you out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive!
Do I see some jumping, screaming, dancing, singing, and shouting for joy right now?
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
There is an old idiom or expression that says, “a lick and a promise”, which means something done hurriedly, most often incompletely, with the intent to return to do it later. So many people today, young or old I’m seeing, operate in that vein. However, the Psalmist tells us, not so with God, He’s not in a rush but can do it suddenly and when He does a thing, He does it in His time, and He does it thoroughly and completely. He doesn’t have the objective to come back and do it later once He’s started. So, as Zion would find out in our passage today.
David pens this psalm of conversion as a song, a prayer, and a promise. He tells of how God reversed the captivity of Zion; the entire city was in need of deliverance. They felt as if they must have been dreaming because this was too good to be true. Us? Delivered and set free from captivity? They were so overwhelmed and didn’t expect what was being done for them. The scripture says their mouths were filled with laughter and their tongues with singing. Have you ever had something happen to you that you felt like you were having an outer body experience? You felt as if you must be dreaming or it was just too good to be true? Maybe, that’s just me. But God had heard their cry and had answered beyond belief. They even asked for the turn or reversal in their captivity to be as a stream, a constant and continuous flow of blessings.
Conversion from captivity means that there is a certain change that happens in the atmosphere when deliverance comes. You can’t explain it and you certainly can’t describe the joy you feel when you have been set free from a situation which has kept you bound, whether self-inflicted or not; nothing like the elation you feel when you are free from your circumstance, free from trouble, free from doubt, free from stress, or free from depression and anxiety. I can’t imagine how they felt being held in captivity, but all of us have been bound at one point or another by something or someone. We know how it feels to have been freed from that bondage. I love how God even encourages His children even in those times; Isaiah says in chapter 35, Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ And he goes on to say, “… for in the wilderness waters shall break out, and streams in the deserts.” The Lord will come and He shall make a way of escape for you.
For Zion, God’s mercy was so unexpected, and so awesome that they couldn’t form the words to describe it, the reaction was in such a way that the only way to explain it was by jumping, screaming, dancing, singing, and shouting for joy. That would definitely be my reaction as well because this was no small thing that the Lord had done. Zion had been sowing tears, but now they were reaping joy and a harvest of gladness. Now, they were singing songs of happiness because the Lord had redeemed and restored them. They were no longer bound and had been set free. The Lord lets us know also that no matter what we are going through that He hears our cry and sees our tears; He will answer because His mercy and His grace is everlasting. If you have been sowing tears, you are about to reap joy… and I won’t even tell you about your harvest or what it is about to yield! I will say get ready as the Lord begins to pour you out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive!
Do I see some jumping, screaming, dancing, singing, and shouting for joy right now?
Until the morning, be blessed,
Cynde
|
