In
Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam spoke of the abiding
benefits of grace. These benefits include:
v Forgiveness of sin
v Transformation of
character
v Fellowship and
partnership with God and God’s people
Our
pastor also noted that in Psalm 126, the expression of joy comes before the
restoration of fortunes. The passage reads:
The LORD has done great things
for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the
Negev.
(Psalm 126:3-4)
As
we reflect on the goodness of God and are filled with joy, we are able to
endure hardship. We understand that the God who loves us is the God who frees
us. We are confident that the God who changes our character is the God who
changes our circumstance. And though it may take a miracle for our circumstance
to change, we still rejoice because we know God’s track record of doing the
miraculous.
The
psalm uses a particular phrase that I’d like us to reflect on today: streams in the Negev. Pastor Sam spoke
of the wadi: a wadi is a channel or
ravine that is dry until the rainy season comes. The soil in the wadi is so dry
and hard that when the rain finally arrives, the soil is not able to absorb the
water: the rain travels along the wadi as a raging river.
Maybe
you are in a dry season, where nothing you’ve planted has grown. I pray that
you will rejoice today: not because your circumstances have already changed,
but because you have full assurance that God will work in you and through you, even as
you wait for His blessings to overtake you like a flood.
This
is Advent, the season of expectation. Expect God to show up in your Negev.
God, our Father and Lord
and King, thank You! We are forgiven… and we are transformed... and we rejoice in our relationship with You and Your people. May the world see You in us as we
wait for deliverance and restoration.
All
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,
Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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