AND WE ARE GLAD
Psalm 126:1-3 NKJV
1 When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
"The Lord has done great things for them."
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad.
When the nation of Israel turned against God time after time, they were forced into captivity. The story of Daniel is during this time of Israel's captivity in Babylon that lasted for 70 years. But, as promised, God brought the nation out of bondage. This psalm is recounting the joy of that return.
It was like a dream to the captives. They must have had the sense of, "Could this really be happening?" But they were filled with laughter and singing. And even among the nations, the word went out that the Lord had done great things for Israel. The psalmist states that the Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.
I remember when I first came to the Lord during the summer I turned 19. I was living in Illinois selling books door to door. To make my book deliveries, I borrowed a car from a sweet couple. It was my first time driving a stick shift, but I gradually got the hang of it. Or I grindingly got the hang of it, but I was on my way. One evening at dusk, I was driving down a two-lane highway. A light rain was falling, and the roads were slick. When an older car with dim taillights pulled in front of me, I was not aware that the car had stopped in the middle of the road to make a left turn. I did not see any brake lights or turn signals until it was too late. I slammed on the brakes and the last thing I remembered was my car began to skid and was sliding toward the back of the stopped vehicle. My driver's side door was headed straight for the rear of the other car. I remember calling out, "Jesus!" The next thing that happened was the car pulled out of the skid, passed the stopped vehicle on the right shoulder of the road, and went back into the road on the right side, avoiding the oncoming cars in the opposite lane. I like to think I am a pretty good driver, but I know I am not that good. I had chill bumps on chill bumps as I knew the Lord had sent angels and helped me out of a bad crash in a borrowed car. The Lord had done great things for me and I was glad. Very glad.
Many of us can look back and see how the Lord has helped us over the years. Miracles of protection, healing, provision, and wisdom have been a part of our lives. The Lord has done great things for us and we have to remember to be glad. Plus, we have to remember to remember. Our too-human tendency to forget the good and forget what God has done is a challenge most all of us face.
We have reasons to be glad. We can start with our salvation. The Lord has been good to us and done great things for us, and we are glad. Glad today and glad tomorrow.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord! You have done great things for me, and I won't forget it, and I am glad about it!