For Great is the Lord

William Blake's "The Ancient of Days" - http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki

Deacon Tom writes ©

“For Great is the Lord" - PS 96:4

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Have you ever had this experience: you were in a jam and needed some help, but all your friends, all the “go to” people in your life were busy with other important things and they couldn’t help you out?  Then, someone you never thought of comes to the rescue. Wow, you are totally amazed at how things worked out. You just know that God somehow had something to do with sending help during your time of need. 

The story of the liberation of the Hebrew Nation from captivity in Babylon at the hands of the Persian King Cyrus is a genuine sign of God using outside help in getting His plan accomplished in an amazing and awesome way. The Jews were in a hopeless situation; they were being held captive away from their home; their temple lay in ruin; their way of life altered forever. So they thought. Then Cyrus, the king of the Persians, defeats the Babylonians and comes to their aid. In 538 B.C. he issued an edict allowing the return of all the Hebrews to Jerusalem. Better yet, he ordered the rebuilding of the Temple and provided that the Israelites be given a royal subsidy from his treasury. He directed that the sacred vessels seized by the Babylonians when they destroyed the Temple should be sent back with the released captives. Finally, he urged all Israelites to contribute to the restoration of public worship. Isaiah tells how God took Cyrus’ right hand and led him, “subduing nations before him…opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred.”

We are often anxious and fearful when we confront many of the problems and difficulties in our lives, problems with our relationships, with our kids, our boss, or even fears of losing our jobs or our health. We struggle with forgiving those who have hurt us; we struggle with addictions and all sorts of impossible situations. Some even struggle with the teachings of our church. We ask ourselves, “How am I going to get through this?”  Or, “Where can I turn for help?” 

It’s always darkest before the dawn, they say. I am sure the Jews held captive in Babylon felt this way. But then God, who is the master of doing the impossible, comes to their rescue and turns their tears into laughter. Isaiah tells us today to keep the faith. There is no struggle or difficulty God cannot overcome!  There is no struggle or difficulty of ours that God does not want to overcome. We need to give our cares to God and wait faithfully, prayerfully, hopefully, and patiently for Him to come to our rescue while doing the best we can with the situation at hand.

Enjoy the Day!

Deacon Tom