Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord! 2 And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. 3 The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together. 4 For thus the Lord said to me, “As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey, and when a band of shepherds is called out against him he is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.

5 Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it.” 6 Turn to him from whom people have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. 7 For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you. 8 “And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him;
and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor.


9 His rock shall pass away in terror, and his officers desert the standard in panic,” declares the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
 
Meditation
Do not blink or you miss it- God makes a crazy promise in this passage. God’s promises are spoken, not screamed. If we are not careful God’s promises will get lost. We can miss the power in God’s promise if our hearts are not tuned by grace.
 
God took Judah’s biggest threat, Assyria, and promised they would be defeated without God’s people needing to fight. (8). God promised the strongest empire in the world would fall by a Heavenly sword. This is preposterous! But it is exactly what happens. In Isaiah 37:36 we see OVER 185,000 Assyrian soldiers killed by the Angel of the Lord. The survivors flee. God wins. God is faithful to every word of His promises.
 
The steps for the people of Judah to access the promises of God are our steps too:
 
Remember God’s promises and trust His faithfulness! Like the prodigal son who needed to come to his senses so we must get up, shake the dust off our faith, and remember the depth of the Love of God for us!
 
Repent from turning to places other than the Lord for Help and Hope (1-3). These can be physical places like Egypt OR spiritual strongholds like idols (7).
 
Return to the Lord who fights for us (4-6). The Lord will protect and deliver! And He will do it in a way that demonstrates it is ONLY His grace and mercy.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Do you miss God’s promises, distracted by other details of life? How can you grow in remembering?
 
-What do you need to repent of, physical or spiritual strongholds, that have kept you from trusting God and His promises?
 
-Return to the Lord. In prayer, take your heart and put it in the hands of the Lord. He cares for you! And will fight for you. He is faithful to every word of His promises!!
 
Key Verse
8 “And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword…

Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. 7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.
 
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
 
Meditation
Never lose hope, even when everything you see leads you to believe the enemy has won. When the situation seems bad and you are tempted to wave the white flag- never lose hope. God’s promises will turn the page as the present battle is not the end of the story.
 
The army of the Lord retreated from the Philistines (1). Jonathan, David’s intimate ally, is the first to be killed (2) of Israel’s entire leadership. Everyone is annihilated and the people scatter, left without a shepherd. The enemy inhabited the cities of Israel (7) and the body of king Saul, desecrated by suicide, decorated the wall of the temple of Philistine’s false gods. Can it get worse for Israel? Has the enemy won?
 
Zooming out for the larger narrative reveals God had predicted the demise of Saul’s house because of his disobedience (1 Samuel 28) and He reinforced the choosing of David to be shepherd for the sheep of Israel (Psalm 78:70-72). When we turn the page of this difficult circumstance we will see the road is paved for David to be anointed king, soon ruling from Jerusalem.
 
God was using the attack of the enemy for His purposes in history. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than the cross of Christ where it appeared death had won. Struggle, suffering, and death are not the end of the story.  Turn the page- Jesus rose from the grave! A way is paved for the King to rule. Never lose hope.
 
Richly Dwelling
-When I feel defeated I get depressed and anxious. What affect does this have on you, when you feel like the enemy has won?
 
-Why is it encouraging to zoom out and see God’s promises in the past AND how He is working struggles for His purposes, to remember your struggle is not the end of the story?
 
-The work of Jesus paints this picture most clearly- Death is never the end of the story and the best attempts of the enemy are a springboard for God’s victory! What three words do you associate with the victory of God? Write them down and preach them to yourself when you are feeling defeated.
 
Key Verse
2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”
 
4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5 and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength,7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. 10 In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ 12 And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’” 14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father's house? 15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money.16 All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”
 
17 So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household gods. 20 And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. 21 He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.
 
22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
25 And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? 28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. 29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?” 31 Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
 
33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's.34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel's saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.
 
36 Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? 37 For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. 38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”
 
43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne? 44 Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me.” 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, 49 and Mizpah, for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another's sight. 50 If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”
 
51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, 54 and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country. 55 Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home.
 
Meditation
Your search for a secure identity is found when your heart is locked in love. There is no security in finding identity in possessions and people. The only secure source for identity is the Person of the Lord and His promise.
 
The sons of Laban were accusing Jacob of taking away the family wealth (1) and Jacob got nervous. Rachel and Leah understood God as the One “taking away” the wealth of their father (16). After twenty years of labor for Laban it was time for Jacob to depart.  Possessions drove Jacob’s family to a new place. 
 
Without explanation Rachel stole the household idols of her father (19, 32). Laban’s idols explain his lack of integrity. Laban’s anger was misdirected because he felt that Jacob taking his girls, grandchildren, and great wealth was stealing his very heart (“stolen” in 20, 26, 27, is translated “tricked”). Jacob’s pride was triggered in the accusation and claimed innocence in “stealing” anything from Laban (39).
 
All the argument over possessions arise from a sense of stolen identity.  Peace is found only after the Lord intervenes. The Lord’s promises offer identity protection, locked in His covenant love. Nothing and no one can steal us from the presence of the LORD or take away the power of His promises. Jacob will continue to be insecure until he wrestles with this reality. Secure identity is only found in the person and promises of the Lord.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Where do you see the instability of seeking security and a sense of personal worth from people and possessions as the source for identity?
 
-Why are we quick to allow ourselves to be defined by what we have or whom we run with? What does it say about our hearts?
 
-The Lord intervenes for peace, working His promises for His people. How can you find security and stability in the Lord’s covenant with His people? Nothing can steal you from His love or take away His promises secured in Christ.
 
Key Verse
53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.”

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, 8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
 
Peter's Vision
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
 
17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23 So he invited them in to be his guests.
 
The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”
 
30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
 
Gentiles Hear the Good News
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
 
The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
 
Meditation
The Church must journey with Peter to proclaim, “Everyone who believes in Christ receives forgiveness through His name!” (43) Everyone means everybody who believes.  We, the Church, don’t get to decide who “everyone” is based on our finite biases, comfort levels, or political views. 
 
Peter’s powerful proclamation came from pondering God’s providence. Peter saw a vision (three times), welcomed visitors sent by the Spirit, and was directed to visit a Gentile household. ONLY after heavy providence would Peter proclaim, “Now I understand that God shows no partiality!” (34)
 
Had Peter ignored God’s purpose for the election of Abraham, to bless all the nations of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3)? Or not read the prophets who proclaimed light for all peoples (Isaiah 46:9; 49:6)? Had Peter missed the point of Jesus’ trip to Samaria (John 4) or the remarkable advancement of the gospel to gentiles in the early church (Acts 8)?  
 
God pursued Peter’s heart individually and it transformed the church corporately. Peter would later need another reminder that the gospel shows no partiality (Galatians 2:11-14). The Church in the US needs another gospel reminder, too- There are no closed doors at the cross. We must cease allowing ourselves to be defined by ethnicity, socio-economic status, tradition, or political party. “Everyone” means EVERY body that believes. Christians are one in Christ, brothers and sisters in the family of God. We must respond to God’s grace through living our identity.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Why do we sometimes close the doors of the cross to people who are different than us?
 
-God’s word teaches that God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; James 2:1). Why does the Church sometimes live and love as though this isn’t true? How does God’s grace deal with the idols of our heart?
 
-Who do you need to remind of this gospel truth, in love, re-orienting their hearts with the power of the gospel? Pray for them NOW and plan to talk with them LATER. We will never grow without difficult conversations in the church.
 
Key Verse
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality.”

1 Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. 3 If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.

4 He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. 5 As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
 
8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. 9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
 
Meditation
Joy flows from generosity, first receiving the generosity of God’s grace then sharing generously with others.
 
The Preacher of Ecclesiastes is constructing a worldview of wisdom, an above the sun perspective for life. Vanity describes life under the sun, a life centered on ourselves. If earthly prosperity, prominence, power, and possessions purchased fullness and happiness then the preacher would be full and happy! But he is empty, chasing wind. The remedy is both counter cultural and counter intuitive.
 
“Cast your bread upon the waters” is a command to share resources in the ecosystem of life. Have you fed bread to fish?  It will not return as bread. Live open handedly, willing to give to “seven, even eight.” (2) Generosity is an investment knowing disaster and storms will come (3-4). Generosity births love in the ecosystem of life.
 
Do not wait for the right wind to be generous (5) because God sovereignly gives life. Sow seeds (6) at all times so light will shine through generosity (7).
 
Real rejoicing is found in living open-handedly with all this world has to offer (8-9).  Jesus agrees, teaching “It is more blessed to give than to receive… to find your life you must lose your life.” (Matthew 7:2; John 12:25)
 
Richly Dwelling
-Are you generous with all you have or do you calculate to keep what you can and spend on yourself? How does God’s grace touch your heart and help you open your hands?
 
-Wisdom compels us to be generous every day and in every season. Why is this season difficult for you to be generous?
 
-What are three ways you can grow in generosity? Be specific in naming how you can GIVE more, living openhandedly for the benefit and blessing of others.
 
Key Verse
4 He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity. “I shall never be moved.” 7 By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”
 
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
 
Meditation
During a recent family movie night our children revolted because a long and engaging movie, that Lisa had picked, ended very sad. The underdog was robbed of victory AND died.  The movie was based on a true story. Lisa assumed it must end in victory and/or redemption if they made a movie about it.  Everyone loves endings where people live happily ever after. The problem is we do not live in a fairy tale. 
 
Hope for a happy ending is found only in the gospel. Through the promises of God the power of a happy ending can be experienced in the present moment. This Psalm of Praise is for the occasion of the dedication of the temple, the provision for God’s presence with His people.  In God’s presence all sad things become untrue.
 
A central piece of praise is reversal through the Gospel- Weeping becomes joy! Mourning, a normal part of life in a fallen world, develops into dancing. The gospel transforms garments of grief into garments of gladness! Because the presence of God brings the fullness of the promises and work of God.
 
Jesus promises our sorrows will be transformed to joy that no one can steal from our hearts (John 16:20-22). Paul teaches that glory comes through our sorrow (2 Corinthians 4:17). The gospel transforms destitution into dancing.
 
Sorrow, grief, sadness, death, sickness, suffering… are not the end of the story!  The ultimate underdog, Jesus Christ, came out victorious, rising from the grave and defeating death, so all that hope in Jesus Christ can experience the power of His promises for a JOYFUL ending today.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Are you overwhelmed by the brokenness and despair of the fallen world, longing for a joyful ending? Where do you need the victory of God the most?
 
-The Psalm reminds us of the power of the presence and promises of God where our mourning is turned to dancing. Have you experienced the power of hope freeing you to dance?
 
-Greif is a gift, acknowledging the value of something or someone lost. But in Christ the garments of grief are replaced with garments of gladness. Do you need to change clothes!?!
 
Key Verse
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,