desert

We’re reading through, and with intentionality, praying through the Psalms during this school year. There are 150 Psalms, divided into 180 different readings. See this post for more info.

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Shout praises to the Lord! He is good to us, and his love never fails. Everyone the Lord has rescued from trouble should praise him, everyone he has brought from the east and the west, the north and the south.

Some of you were lost in the scorching desert, far from a town. You were hungry and thirsty and about to give up. You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. Right away he brought you to a town. You should praise the Lord for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us. To everyone who is thirsty, he gives something to drink; to everyone who is hungry, he gives good things to eat.

Some of you were prisoners suffering in deepest darkness and bound by chains, because you had rebelled and refused his advice. You were worn out from working like slaves, and no one came to help. You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. He brought you out of the deepest darkness
and broke your chains.

You should praise the Lord for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us. He breaks down bronze gates and shatters iron locks.

Some of you had foolishly committed a lot of sins and were in terrible pain. The very thought of food was disgusting to you, and you were almost dead. You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. By the power of his own word, he healed you and saved you from destruction.

You should praise the Lord for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us. You should celebrate
by offering sacrifices and singing joyful songs to tell what he has done.

Some of you made a living by sailing the mighty sea, and you saw the miracles the Lord performed there. At his command a storm arose, and waves covered the sea. You were tossed to the sky and to the ocean depths,
until things looked so bad that you lost your courage. You staggered like drunkards and gave up all hope. You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. He made the storm stop and the sea be quiet. You were happy because of this, and he brought you to the port where you wanted to go.

You should praise the Lord for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us. Honor the Lord when you and your leaders meet to worship.

If you start doing wrong, the Lord will turn rivers into deserts, flowing streams into scorched land, and fruitful fields into beds of salt.

But the Lord can also turn deserts into lakes and scorched land into flowing streams. If you are hungry, you can settle there and build a town. You can plant fields and vineyards that produce a good harvest. The Lord will bless you with many children and with herds of cattle.

Sometimes you may be crushed by troubles and sorrows, until only a few of you are left to survive. But the Lord will take revenge on those who conquer you, and he will make them wander across desert sands.
When you are suffering and in need, he will come to your rescue, and your families will grow as fast as a herd of sheep. You will see this because you obey the Lord, but everyone who is wicked will be silenced.

Be wise! Remember this and think about the kindness of the Lord.

When we cry out to you, oh Lord, you save us!
Psalm 107

Here is today’s prayer from Psalm 107:

God. Abba. Father.

We give you thanks today, for you are good and your love never runs out. Never! When we ponder just that single thought, we are in awe. You love us no matter where we live. You love us no matter our background. You love us, even no matter our poor choices. We can always run to you and you will have open arms for us. Thank you.

Thank you for meeting our daily needs… food, shelter, water. Thank you for coming to set the captives free. Thank you for coming to bring sight to the blind. Thank you for coming to heal the brokenhearted. When we cry out to you, oh Lord, you save us! You continue to bring us salvation. Day after day. Lord, when we make decisions that are not honoring to you, nor to us, and when we finally come back to our senses and lift our heads to heaven, when we get ourselves in trouble, you save us from our distress. Thank you!

Yes, we thank you and proclaim your goodness to the whole earth. Your love never fails. We sing and rejoice!

We rejoice for you make a way for us when we are journeying through times of wilderness or desert life. We rejoice for you calm the waves when we are in the middle of a raging storm. Even storms of financial distress, illness, or broken relationships. When we look to you in our personal disasters, you bring calm, you bring peace. Yes, you are our peace. You always lead us to safe harbors. We rejoice and thank you!

When we were poor and suffering, you were our rescuer. You are kind and full of provision and grace. Oh, how we appreciate your great love for us.

We thank you, always, in the name of our Messiah, Jesus.

Amen.

Because of the importance of Israel and its people, and my personal love for The Land, I’m inviting you to join me through the key Old Testament book of Isaiah. Each day I’m posting some simple thoughts about this complex prophet.

Isaiah 51.

Again, words of comfort and the assurance that God will set things right for those who obey Him. The people of Israel, and us by way of Jesus, are chips off the block of Abraham. Just like the great Jewish patriarch, we can also be called a “friend of God” as we remember our roots (see Isaiah 41:8).

“Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living and committed to seeking God. Ponder the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were dug. Yes, ponder Abraham, your father, and Sarah, who bore you. Think about it! One solitary man when I called him, but once I blessed him, he multiplied. Likewise I, God, will comfort Zion, comfort all her mounds of ruins. I’ll transform her dead ground into Eden, her moonscape into the garden of God, A place filled with exuberance and laughter, thankful voices and melodic songs.” (v1-3, MSG).

Who wants a home filled with exuberance, laughter, thankful voices and singing? I do! Isaiah reminds us, that we can be transformed! If you’ve traveled to Israel you might recall the moonscape of the lands around Masada. Those will be reborn into lush gardens. He did it. He does it. He will continue to do it.

“My salvation will last forever, my setting things right will never be obsolete… Pay no attention to insults and when mocked don’t let it get you down. Those insults and mockeries are moth-eaten, from brains that are termite-ridden. But my setting things right lasts! My salvation goes on and on and on!” (v6-8, MSG).

This echoes what the Psalmist says: “When I was really hurting, I prayed to the Lord. He answered my prayer and took my worries away. The Lord is on my side, and I am not afraid of what others can do to me.” (Psalm 118:5‭-‬6, CEV).

We can trust completely in the delight of God. This is a promise the people of Israel hold on to every day. It is a promise we can cling to as well!

Be comforted today in the beautiful transformational work God is doing in you, in each of us! You may feel like a wasteland or a desert. But God sees you as the Garden of Eden! Hear the singing and laughter. Experience His joy!

I love the word picture described here: “On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”(Zephaniah 3:16-17, NLT).

If you’re new to this journey through Isaiah, you can start here.

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