Thursday: Oh, Restore Us Again
Daily Lesson for Thursday 11th of January 2024
Read Psalms 60:1-5. For what occasions do you think this psalm would be a suitable prayer? How can we benefit from the psalms of lament even in joyous seasons of life?
Psalms of lament are generally understood as prayers of people living through trying times, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual. Or all three.
However, this does not mean that we should avoid these psalms, even in good times. Sometimes there may be a total disjunction between the words of the psalm and the worshiper’s present experience. That is, psalms of lament can be beneficial to worshipers who are not in distress.
First, they can make us more aware that suffering is part of the general human experience and that it happens to both the righteous and the wicked. The Psalms assure us that God is in control and provides strength and solutions in times of trouble. Even in this psalm, even amid the trouble (“You have made the earth tremble,” Psalms 60:2, NKJV), the psalmist displays his ultimate hope in God’s deliverance.
Second, the lament psalms teach us compassion toward the sufferers. When expressing our happiness and gratitude to God, especially in public, we must be mindful of the less fortunate. Sure, we might have things good right now, but who doesn’t know of people, all around us, who are suffering terribly? Praying such psalms can help us not forget those who are going through tough times. The Psalms should evoke in us compassion and a desire to minister to the suffering as Jesus did.
“This world is a vast lazar house, but Christ came to heal the sick, to proclaim deliverance to the captives of Satan. He was in Himself health and strength. He imparted His life to the sick, the afflicted, those possessed of demons. He turned away none who came to receive His healing power. He knew that those who petitioned Him for help had brought disease upon themselves; yet, He did not refuse to heal them. And when virtue from Christ entered into these poor souls, they were convicted of sin, and many were healed of their spiritual disease, as well as of their physical maladies. The gospel still possesses the same power, and why should we not today witness the same results?”—Ellen G. White, Welfare Ministry, pp. 24, 25.
Whom do you know, right now, who needs not only your prayers but your ministering touch, as well?
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Most of us who have been Seventh-day Adventists for a very long time know that the membership attrition rate is very high. The great bell that rings with the discovery of truth in Jesus has not rung for them for a variety of reasons and they leave church fellowship. We like to explain this attrition as the shaking time, shaking out the wicked so that God can be presented with a pure church I suggest we need to be very careful about such reasoning.
Perhaps a better but more challenging way of thinking about these attritions is that many of these folk have been praying a lament about being alone, disenfranchised, ignored by God, and that their prayer has not been answered because some church members have not been listening. I recognise that some folk lose their faith for other reasons, but all too often we excuse their action because they have not responded to the Holy Spirit. The reason may be that we have not responded to the Holy Spirit by listening carefully and understanding their prayer empathetically.
If I was poetic, I would write a Psalm that goes like this:
The lonely are praying
The disenfranchised are lamenting
Their concerns are not being heard
Forgive us for being judgemental
Send us your Spirit to open our ears
Warm our hearts so others may feel your embrace.
It is far too easy to feel lonely in God's Church!
Thank you Maurice for this, I couldn't have said it better myself. I always pray and ask God to help me with me, help me to keep myself in check. I do not claim to have arrived but is something I pray for everyday. When we are full of mercy we'll keep ourselves in check and we'll not be quick to open our mouth about other people.
In other words we understand that sometimes what we need to change is not our situation but it is us.
Sometime ago Inge Anderson commented and say whe must not forget that the greatest battle that we have to fight is the battle against self. I still remember the lesson was about the fact that we are not wrestling against flesh and blood and her point was we must not forget that the greatest battle for us is the battle against self.
Thank you once again. Amen
Thank you for that sharing. May God help us to be faithful to Him
Every disciple will have to conquer a mountain and we need to remember that desperation makes room for God’s revelation. Whenever we face mountains God does not expect us to just go through it but to grow through it. As we reflect on these Psalms of praise, lamentations, and God’s promises, may we remain steadfast until He comes.
"Ministering touch," says the author! We can all help someone with a touch, word, or prayer! Prayer is such an easy tool, but it needs to be developed. Besides being a mental moment of relationship with the Divine, it can be practiced through an action. Prayer can be as simple as a "how are you?" through a social media app. Pray for someone right now!
I thank the Lord.
Sometimes people can bring illnesses upon themselves by the lifestyles they choose. However, many times sickness overtakes us and ravages our bodies and we can only cry out to God for relief. Here again is where the psalms can be comforting.Even if we are not physically restored, there's a spiritual renewal and restoration that we can embrace in these seasons of distress, while leaving God to do His sovereign will. Amen 🙏🏾
Thank you Paulette Williams for reminding us that these Psalms were"written for us,GODS'children,so that we might praise HIM for all that HE has done to draw us all closer to HIMSELF"!
These psalms of lament are so profound! Praise the Lord.
I was once a part of an outreach ministry for those who had given up on church, but not on God. That particular ministry has since morphed into a regular praise church which is okay, but the original ministry is on that would be a blessing to many who don't feel welcome in a church.
I knew someone who still believes in the Three Angels Messages, but when this person was in need of prayer for her family, a leader in her congregation told her that her family had no problems worthy of the church's time to spend on prayer. The leader had no idea about what the woman was going through. That wife and mother never went back to that church.
We judge people by what we see.
We should never refuse to pray for someone, just because we may think they don't have any "real" problems.
There's power in prayer, for those who pray and those they pray for.
If Psalms of lament help us see that, then we should consider them a way to bless someone else.
That is a very sad story. I feel for that church sister, Dahlia, but she is certainly better off not associating with that leader for now. What about giving a chance to the many genuinely caring church members? There will always be some potential for disappointment by people, so we need to avoid idolizing them. Just share our prayer requests with a few people we know will pray specifically and earnestly, and the Lord will fulfill his Word that says "where 2 or 3 are gathered ...there I am in the midst of them." Matt. 18:19-20
Oh, my heart aches brothers and sisters. I need prayer for I feel spiritually sick. I need spiritual healing and increase in faith. I am anxious because I know I need to trust fully in my lord and savior but sometimes I doubt that I have faith at all.
Please pray for me. Blessings to all 🙏
Dear Carlos,
Along with my prayer, I would like to offer sone encouragement from the psalms: Read Ps. 34:18 and Ps. 51:17. It is only when we recognize our spiritual sickness that God can heal us. He hears your heart cry and will answer as you cling to Him.
Jesus said He came to heal the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18) and the very first blessing He pronounced in His great sermon was upon "the poor in spirit" - those who feel their spiritual need. Matt. 5:3 "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven," He said. So keep looking and talking to Him, and the Kingdom will surely be yours.
Carlos,
I am praying for you by name. Thanks for sharing. Personal, intercessory, and communal prayers are heard by our Father. Faith is like a muscle, the more it is exercised the stronger it gets. Continue to stand firm on Gods promises
Whom do you know, right now, who needs not only your prayers but your ministering touch, as well?
I am here. Please saints remember me on your altar. Right now i need the prayers of those i love while travelling o'er life's rugged way.