"It's not whether you get knocked down. It's whether you get up again." - Vince Lombardi
I hope your weekend is fantastic and that you are well and happy ! People need to be like these palm trees at Haleiwa Beach Park on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. If you notice, a lot of sand - and hence stability - has eroded away from the base of these palms; yet they are still enduring and still have stable roots to keep them hanging in there. People need stability as well as deep roots grounded in faith and hope in the good Lord to keep them strong and able to endure the erosions of life's trials, sorrows, anxieties,and heartaches. Christians as well as unbelievers will have occasion to suffer while on this earth. Remember, even Jesus suffered mockings, persecution, and eventually death.
It is not my intent to dwell on the troubles of this life on earth, but rather to share some encouraging thoughts and quotes and music to uplift you this weekend. Jesus said, "And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." John 16:22
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.." - Psalm 30:5
Below is a music video to encourage and uplift you. It is "The Hurt and the Healer" by Mercy Me
God is the Great Physician and Jesus as well, being our Healer. "....And with His stripes we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5 b
Back in 1998 I went through much hurt and pain when my marriage broke up. I ended up crying a lot and traveling for a very long time to try to find my way through the heartache and to find a place where I could settle down and start over again. I had previously been very secular in my outlook, but I began praying more and more and reading the Bible for some stability. One Scripture that I read frequently was Psalm 56 and in particular verse 8, "Thou tellest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle: Are they not in thy book?"
Recently I went to 3 different Bible commentaries to find out what was meant by "tear bottle".
It is an allusion to a very ancient custom by the Romans and the Greeks. In times of sorrow tears were actually collected and put into tear bottles or lachrymatories as a remembrance. The word rendered "bottle" in this Scripture means primarily a bottle made of skin, such as was used in the East. But it could mean a bottle of any kind. A lachrymatory was a small bottle of thin glass or clay. Many of these have been found in the ancient Roman tombs. But the main point in Psalm 56:8 is that God was aware of David's tears and his wanderings and God did keep an account of them. God cares about us and takes special interest in broken hearts.
"He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds." - Psalm 147:3
Remember, hurt and suffering can be for our well-being. By it we learn life lessons and we also turn to God for help -- and in faith and obedience. This pleases the heavenly Father and we in turn grow spiritually in the process.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" - Romans 8:28
Another music video follows..."Jesus You Are My Healer" by Don Moen
Think happy thoughts and dwell on good things. There is much to be grateful for.
"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:" - Proverbs 23:7 a
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