6-23-2019

 Good Morning All,

         Psalm 116:8; “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.”
      So, it is confession time again.  I am one of them; I am a crier.  I cry at movies, at sad stories, sad songs, at touching events.  My wife laughs at me; I don’t care.  I think it is a transference device my mind uses so when I am in an emotionally stressful time, I can function as I should; then it comes out later.  I don’t actually cry at everything just those stories or movies that strike close to home; the ones that I can see myself being involved in.  We watched a movie about a soldier who was first injured in a war incident and then the struggle about him coming home and re-adjusting to family life and society.  I have a daughter-in-law who is in the guards.  She was in Iraq once and might have to go again.  I can relate to that story.  The other day, I read a story about a couple who got married and their two-year-old son, who had cancer, was the best man.  The son died a couple of days after the wedding.  Now, I have grandchildren who are that age; I can relate to that story.

    In our verse, the psalmist is giving thanks for God rescuing him and the community from calamity.  It is a psalm of joy for removing a painful or dangerous event.  It would be a good psalm to use when a drought ends or a severe storm misses you.  It speaks to God with a joyful “thank you” for sparing me.  There are all sorts of calamities and pain out there.  This world is still ruled by sin.  The devil has many deceived by his lies and distortions.  Those who believe the lies serve as the devil’s tools to assault us.  Add this to the devil’s own whispering into our ear and we are often wandering; lost in a world of darkness, lies, and attacks.  Yet we don’t battle them alone, God knows our wanderings and he gives us the hope to persevere and the faith to stand up to them. 

    While we are on this wandering, we know that we will face tears, real tears.  We will experience pain in this world, both believers and unbelievers will experience sadness and pain.  This is the result of sin both personal and world sin.  Other people’s sins affect you and me.  Think of the drunk driver who kills a van full of kids.  Tears will flow in that event.  Enough tears to fill a bottle and God keeps each one; he keeps each one as he wipes them from our eyes.  He keeps a record of them. He does this, not as a way to keep score but he keeps it in his heart as he feels our pain and loves us.  He has no desire to hurt us.  He has no desire to see us in pain; rather his desire is to love us and for us to be his children in his kingdom.  God’s love is upon us.  He knows our pain, our tears.  He watches our wanderings and offers us comfort and hope.

Dearest Father, in our wanderings we have tears and feel alone; yet you are always with us.  Give us the comfort of your Spirit and the consolation of your mercy.  Guide us in our wanderings and comfort us in our pain.  Be especially with those who are in need of an extra grace as their tears are falling now.  Use us as your hands and arms to bring comfort and consolation to their lives.  Give us your peace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret