ARE YOU ADVERSE TO ADVERSITY –

After David made Jerusalem the capital of his kingdom, and his son Solomon fulfilled his vision by building the most beautiful temple ever seen in Israel to house the Ark of the Covenant and become the most holy spot on earth, it was heartbreaking when foreign kings invaded Judah and showed no respect for the Holy City; even destroying all that was sacred to them, then carting them away into captivity. But the love and desire for that precious mountain burned in the hearts of all those in exile, and they dreamed of the day when God would restore it in all its splendor. One lonely exile could contain his passion no longer, and put it into words for the entire world to read and remember how much he loved his God and the sanctuary where he often worshiped Him in the presence of His glory.

“O LORD Eternal, please hear my pray; let my calls for help reach Your ears. Don’t ignore me while I’m this stressed out; move closer to me so when I call for help You can respond right away. I’m running out of time; I feel my life slipping away. My heart is broken and beginning to grow weak; I’ve lost all appetite for food, and the intensity of my misery has reduced me to skin and bones. I feel like a lost bird out in the desert; like a solitary owl in a ghost town; yes, I feel restless, like a lonely sparrow perched on a rooftop. Those who don’t like me poke fun at me all day long; they ridicule me and use my situation as a joke. Swallowing my pride has become my bread, and tears have become my drink; all brought on by what You’ve done to discipline me; I feel like I’ve been picked up and thrown aside. I sense the end is drawing near; then I’ll just shrivel up and die. But You, O LORD Eternal, will remain on Your throne throughout eternity; people will admire You long after I’m gone. So You must do something quick and have compassion on our Holy City; the time to do something good has finally come; yes, the time you promised to act is here. Those who serve You cherish our Holy City; every stone; even the dust that covers her. We want all unbelievers to respect our LORD Eternal for the God He is, and all the leaders in other lands to admire the way You act after they see that once again You reign in glory after the Holy City is rebuilt; that You paid attention to the pleas of the destitute and did not ignore their prayers. That’s why I’m writing this for future generations to read, so that people yet unborn will have a reason to celebrate the LORD because they can see that He looks down from His sanctuary in heaven on high to see what’s going on so that He can hear the groans of those in captivity and free those doomed to die. That way, this will make sure that they keep the story alive about how wonderful the LORD Eternal is to the community of believers and so that praises can continue in His sanctuary until the day when kings and kingdoms assemble in unison to bow down before Him as their LORD Eternal.” Psalm 102:1-21.

Reflection: Fanny J. Crosby, one of the most beloved hymn writers of all time, suffered from blindness caused by an incompetent doctor’s treatment at six weeks of age. At the age of fifteen she entered the New York Institute for the Blind, and spent the next 35 years there teaching English and History. She said of her accidental blindness, “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank Him for allowing it.” That positive attitude led to the writing of over 9,000 hymns, many of them popular to this day. But unbeknownst to her friends, she wrote one song that she never published and kept it a secret. She only revealed it at the request of well-known evangelist D. L. Moody. The words go like this, “Someday the silver cord will break, and I no more as now shall sing. But oh, the joy when I shall wake within the palace of the King! And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story, saved by grace: And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story, saved by grace.” Oh what a wonderful example she provides for anyone going through what she and the Psalmist experienced. We must ask ourselves: do we possess the same sterling qualities to be an example to those watching us and looking for us for inspiration? For their sakes, let us hope so. 03/12/13  http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/316#ixzz2D5NU5Iqz