1 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion,
we were like them that dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
and our tongue with singing:
then said they among the heathen,
The Lord hath done great things for them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us;
whereof we are glad.
4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord,
as the streams in the south.
5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Comments by Joan Boney
We grieve, often over the sins of people even in the church. We grieve for days or months or maybe years. Then God delivers us from that grief and we rejoice in HIS deliverance.
The children of Israel were in captivity in Egypt for 400 years. At the appointed time, God delivered them.
Ex. 15 ...1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying,
I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously:
the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and song,
and he is become my salvation:
he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a man of war:
the Lord is his name.
4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea:
his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
5 The depths have covered them:
they sank into the bottom as a stone.
6 Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power:
thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee:
thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together,
the floods stood upright as an heap,
and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them;
I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them:
they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like thee, glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders?
12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand,
the earth swallowed them.
13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed:
thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
14 The people shall hear, and be afraid:
sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed;
the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them;
all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them;
by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone;
till thy people pass over, O Lord,
till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance,
in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in,
in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
18 The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them,
Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
They were delivered from one problem and they greatly rejoiced ... then there was another problem ... Each problem causes us to turn to God again for HIS deliverance.
Problem after problem ...deliverance after deliverance gives us experience with God.
James 1 ... 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
We are usually not joyful when there is a problem are we? Yet James explains to count it as joy because it is another opportunity for us to see God as strong and to see God taking care of us.
If we never had a problem, would we turn to God?
Over and over I do see God working through my various problems.
I had on my car one tire which looked low on air. I felt it might have nail. I didn't want to get it fixed. I wanted to be at home reading Bible and writing these exhortations. But I finally became afraid to go out in the car. I purposed the next day to have the car checked. I prayed that it would not take too long at the tire place. I didn't want to leave house that morning for when I awaken I want to use that time to read, to hear what God would say to me, to write ... for I am usually freshest at that time of day and I do not want any thing to steal that time. I am very jealous of that time and I guard it. I did think of the tire from time to time as I worked but I resisted leaving house until later. And then I realized the tire place might even be busier in morning. I finished my work about 1 p.m. I got ready and went to tire store. Only one customer was in the store. I mentioned to the young man who waited on me that I had felt this might be a less busy time at tire store. He said, "It's a perfect time. We can deal with your car immediately." And they did. (A valve was leaking air on that tire.)
Phil. 4 ... 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
I've had problems so serious to me that I have just gone to bed and cried out to God all day long from my bed. Sometimes you know you cannot deliver yourself. You are sure you must have God's plan to get you free.
A woman who is very religious at her church but is not born again called me from week to week for several years, asking me to go to lunch with her. When I was with her she was always upset over one secular thing after another. She tried to straighten out everyone in her path, thinking herself to be right and them wrong. God said to me "self-righteous" over this woman. She did not call on God. She admitted at the end she did not call on God. She just thought she knew what should be done. She was very scornful. I often asked God to stop her from calling me. I often asked God to deliver me. After several years of this, about 7 years, I knew I could stand this no longer. The last time I went to lunch with her I was so grieved by her words that I went to bed when I got home and stayed in bed all the next day, crying out to God for help. Then the following day, I awoke with a message for her. "In time to come, you will see you have been going a totally wrong way and you will be so ashamed." She called me immediately upon receipt of this email. She said she didn't understand that message. I told her only God could give her understanding... I couldn't. (She snapped at me saying, "I know that." But I knew she didn't for God was not like HE is to us. He wasn't a real part of her life.) She did stop calling me for about 3 weeks.
Then her mother died and she called me and told me and she told me it was wonderful for the bishop (Catholic church) agreed to say a mass for her mother. I told her this was terrible and that I was sorry she told me this. I haven't heard from her since I told her this.
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In 2010, my sound processor went out and I had to replace it. I found a dealer in East Texas (600 miles from me) and I felt I could work with him. He and one of his workers came to Lubbock to bring me equipment for the job. As David was leaving my house that day, he said to me, "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but they think I have ALS disease." I was horrified. I told God I certainly hoped this was not the case. But it was. The doctors told David he would become totally paralyzed and live approximately 2 1/2 years. But David lived about 5 years and I had two visions about David during that time. In one vision, I saw David totally whole on golf course. He was going ahead of us but he was jumping up and down waving to us, "Come on ..." I felt God was showing me David was going to die and be made whole through death.
Church people swarmed on David like flies, claiming healing over him, sure he would be healed.
Then I had second dream, "David was at my house and was going upstairs. He began going up the stairs two at a time. He was totally whole. Then in the dream I realized David had been paralyzed but was whole in the dream." Again, I felt God was showing me David would be made whole but through death.
God performed great miracles by the hand of Paul ... Acts 19 ... 11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
But recently I was reading and noticed that Paul left one of the disciples sick. 2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
There is another accounting of one of Paul's disciples who became ill because he considered not his own life ... 25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. 26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. 27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death:but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Phil. 2
Some churches put terribly heavy burdens on people to be healed. The people feel their faith is weak if they can't be healed. Yet Paul used himself as an example of failing to be healed.
I Cor. 12 ...7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
God does as HE wills.
Some people willfully say, "Oh, God would never let that happen to me." They fail to remember Jesus and John the Baptist.
I greatly prefer the attitude of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to worship the god set up by Nebuchadnezzar. They said: 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Dan. 3
God is able to deliver me ... But if God chooses not to deliver me, it is well. I still have faith in God.
God chose to allow Jesus to die on a cross for our sins. God chose to let Herod behead John the Baptist. God kept Shadrich, Meshach, Abednego from being hurt in the fiery furnace.
God is God and as such HE does as HE wills and it is well and we cannot explain it away. But we who have faith in God accept God as being just regardless of what happens on this earth.
Some church groups think it faith to tell God what to do and to tell the people what God will do without actually hearing from God on the matter. Then if things don't go as they say, they blame the sick person for "weak faith" ... and leave the sick with the illness and terrible guilt for "weak faith."