The unbroken line (Psalm 102:12-22)
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♥♡♥ Unbreakable cord / Psalm 102:12-22 ♥♡♥
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What would be the most powerful force a person needs to survive?
money? authority? honor? knowledge? Talent? or land? children? delight? What has been your greatest strength in your life so far? Especially when life is hard and difficult.
For me, it is ‘hope’. My hope is to ‘fulfill the plan that God has made for me’ and ‘a happy life in the eternal kingdom’. Perhaps not only me but also many people think that the ‘hope’ they expect and wish for is a great strength to sustain life.
At [Kay Museum] in London, England, there is a painting titled [Hope] painted by Frederick Watts. In the picture, a weak-looking woman is sitting on a round globe. If you look closely at his face, he has a towel wrapped around his eyes. It is not seeing ahead. The woman holds a small pipa in her hand. The pipa originally had seven strings, but all six strings are cut off and only one string remains. And after that, a star is twinkling. This woman is blind and dark, and the six strings are cut off, but she continues to ride the pipa with one string. That line is the line of hope, and the star shining alone behind is the star of hope.
The power of hope is great. It makes people strong, persevering, and not giving up.
“Everything in this house is burned down. But my wife and children and hope did not burn. Business will continue as normal from tomorrow.”
Such hope is vividly expressed in the text of this hour. The title of this psalm reads, “A prayer for the afflicted who is broken in heart and pours out their sorrows before the Lord.” As the title suggests, the content of the poem is also a poem of desperate lament. In the Psalms, there are seven “repentance psalms,” and one of them is this psalm.
Judging from the content of the poem, the author laments the misery of captivity as a person who was or experienced the Babylonian captivity. And we earnestly pray for the recovery of the nation, and we cry out to God in hope, without being discouraged even in desperate situations. Romans 8:18 says, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.” This is the belief of the author of this poem. What is our position today?
The past year has been cluttered, both domestically and internationally, to be truly terrifying. A certain broadcaster said that this year, it was not really a ‘year-end party’, but a ‘year-end party’ that was a ‘forgetful man’. It was a year with so many things I really want to forget. So people in the world resort to alcohol and pleasure to erase them from memory. But would that change anything?
When this generation is dark and chaotic, what should people of our faith do?
1. We must look to the God of hope.
In today's text, we look back on the grace that God has given us in the midst of despair, and we hope for the new grace that He will accomplish with faith. When we say a person of hope, we cannot leave out ‘David’. David experienced many hardships, the betrayal of a close friend, the betrayal of his family, and countless life crises. David said in Psalm 39:7, “Lord, what can I hope for? My hope is in You.”
The poet of this poem is gradually moving toward a place where he hopes for God deeply, while expressing his desperate state with such earnestness and frankness. In other words, we are convinced that God is infinitely kind to those who repent even though the people have sinned. Not only that, I realized that for the glory of God and His covenant, God must save Zion and free His chosen people from suffering. That is why the psalmist confesses, “The Lord has manifested himself in his glory, and has visited the prayers of the needy.” This is the faith of conviction that confesses the unfulfilled future salvation as if it were experienced in the past.
That's right. What we need today is a confident faith in God. That is, we must be filled with the faith of conviction based on the character and promises of God. The Lord said in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it. And it shall be so for you.”
How many things have you planned for the past year? Are you disappointed that you are not making any progress in your life? Let's look up. Let's look to the God who becomes all our hope and controls life and life. In Isaiah 45:11 God says: “Ask me of the future, saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, the Maker of Israel. And ask me about the work of my sons and the work of my hands.”
Ask God about the future. And since everything in the world is God's work, let's entrust all of our work to God.
2. You must continue to do the work entrusted to you.
If circumstances and circumstances change, stopping an entrusted work or quitting one's work becomes an unreliable condition.
It was 20 years ago when I was at Eunsung Church in Songdo, Busan. Since my house was in Geoje-dong, where there is an intersection, it was a long distance, about an hour by car, twice. So on Sundays, I would arrive at the church before 9 o'clock when the children's club started, and after all worship services and youth group meetings, I would arrive at my house around 11 pm. So, naturally, lunch and dinner had to be arranged at the church. But there were days when I was starving.
Once, after a daytime worship service for seniors, there was a broadcast that a North Korean fighter had invaded. Suddenly, the church was quiet. Everyone rushed home because there was a war. What's even worse is that the store's food items, such as rice and ramen, have run out. That day, I couldn't even go home and starved.
Another week was the Chuseok holiday. On that day too, everyone went home after the noon service for seniors. On that day, all the food stalls and shops selling food were closed, so I went hungry for lunch and dinner.
Only later did I talk about it at a youth group. ‘You guys really did too much!’ Only then did they scratch their heads and apologize.
A philosopher once said, “Even if the end comes tomorrow, I will plant a naruto.” Doesn't it sound like a straight-minded person? Serving and following God should never depend on circumstances or circumstances or be dictated by people's moods.
The people of God must not change their heart toward God under any circumstances and circumstances. In Isaiah 26:3, it says, “In peace you will keep him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”
Just because a year is over doesn't mean it's all over. Neither the time of the human world nor the work of God is continuing without any change. However, for the sake of convenience, a certain period of time has passed. Therefore, God's people should use it as an opportunity to review the work entrusted to them and find a way to further develop and grow at the end of a period. The only closing time to finish our work is when God calls it.
Even in the text, the poet continues to rely on God and pray, given to him even in times of despair when there is no possibility of resuscitation. No, I'm crying out with a more earnest heart.
3. You have to think of things above.
The poet looks to God in the midst of despair and prays constantly because this is his only eternal hope, and it is an unbroken reduction. The reason people of God have to live like this is because we have gained life again with Jesus Christ.
Let's look at Colossians 3:1-4. (New Standard Version) “Therefore, since you have been raised up with Christ, seek the things that are above. There Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Don't think about the things on the earth, think about the things above. You are already dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, you will also appear with him in glory.”
Although we live on earth, we are already citizens of the kingdom of God. Therefore, the way of life or the way of thinking must be heavenly, and it must be the pursuit of the eternal that is above.
The meaning of this soldier's answer is, 'If the future is promised, today's pain is not a problem.'
Look at Romans 8:18. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.” This soldier's hope is given to us. In other words, we are promised an eternal life represented by peace, happiness, and glory today. In Colossians 3:4 a while ago, it was said that we would appear with Jesus Christ in glory.
Now, let's look to God, who is our unbroken hope, even though the times that have passed are difficult and difficult. And while looking at the promise above, let's faithfully continue the work we have been given. Then one day God will fulfill the promises.