Ascent Week 13

Psalm 132

O LORD, remember David
   and all the hardships he endured.

He swore an oath to the LORD
   and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
"I will not enter my house
   or go to my bed--
I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
   no slumber to my eyelids,
till I find a place for the LORD,
   a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."

We heard it in Ephrathah,
   we cam upon it in the fields of Jaar:
"Let us go to his dwelling place;
   let us worship at his footstool--
arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place,
   you and the ark of your might.
May your priests be clothed with righteousness;
   may your saints sing for joy."

For the sake of David your servant,
   do not reject your anointed one.

The LORD swore an oath to David,
   a sure oath that he will not revoke:
"One of your own descendants
   I will place on your throne--
if your sons keep my covenant
   and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
   on your throne for ever and ever."

For the LORD has chosen Zion,
   he has desired it for his dwelling:
"This is my resting place forever and ever;
   here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it--
I will bless her with abundant provisions;
   her poor will I satisfy with food.
I will clothe her priests with salvation,
   and her saints will ever sing for joy.

"Here I will make a horn grow for David
   and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
I will clothe his enemies with shame,
   but the crown on his head will be resplendent."

In Your Ark

Sometimes we think about the story of Noah, and we forget just how long he stayed on that ark. He and his family and all of those animals were on that ark for 40 days and 40 nights of a storm. It didn't stop for a month and ten days. Folks, that's from today until the 21st of September. We'll already be a month or so into school, and watching football each Sunday (by the way, I love me some football, but that's a different post to consider).

Noah and his sons and their wives and their animals were all together on that ark for a 40 day storm that was not calm, to be sure. My guess is that it was pretty rough going for many days. But after the rain had stopped, it took another year for the waters on the earth to dry up. So think about this...from now until September 21st, 2017!!!!! That's a long time, my friends.

Now during that time, do you think that Noah ever thought that perhaps God had forgotten about him and his family and all the animals on the ark? Do you think discouragement ever set in? Do you think he would have been wondering, "What have I gotten myself and my family into?" Well, Scripture doesn't say for sure, but I would have to guess that Noah was much like any of the rest of us who might have thought that God had abandoned us. Most of us feel that way after a week of trouble in our families or our job. We start complaining pretty quickly...much less if it was going on for an entire year.

But God did remember Noah. Genesis 8:1 starts off with that glorious promise. And God will remember us, too. He hasn't forgotten that we are His children. He hasn't misplaced you. His plan for you hasn't hit an unexpected snag. No! God is there, and He is in control. And one day, He's going to burst your ark open, and you're going to see one of the most beautiful things that you've ever seen, most likely something you've never seen before...just like Noah, when he got off his ark. He saw a rainbow in the sky and got a promise that God would never destroy the earth with a flood again. I don't know what you'll see, and I don't know what God will promise you...but I do know it will be amazing!

Comment below about a time God did an amazing thing as you came out of a rough patch, and share it with us so we can be encouraged too.

And we'll see you on Sunday!