Daily Devotional Tuesday Thoughts | September 22, 1016
It’s Tuesday and time for your daily devotional. Have you ever returned home from a long absence and felt joy just by being there again? After returning to Jerusalem from seventy years of exile, the Israelites were overcome with gladness. In today’s daily devotional, if you’ve ever felt far from God, rejoice in the restoration He brings to your soul.
No Place Like Home
Scholars believe Psalm 126 was sung in celebration of God’s people’s liberation from seventy years of captivity. Nebuchadnezzar had ransacked Jerusalem and taken the majority of them across the desert to Babylon. There they were exposed to a different culture with different customs and religious beliefs. When Darius the Mede reigned, he authorized their release to return and rebuild Jerusalem. In verse 1, they were so overwhelmed with joy; they felt they were dreaming.
They praised God for turning their captivity around. Darius signed the decree, but it was God who set things in motion. Coming home was a joyous dream that they never wanted to wake from. In your daily devotional, there’s a saying that there’s no place like home. Zion was their earthly home, yet our ultimate home awaits us all.
Mighty God
Verse 2 exclaims, “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.” In the Lord’s house, laughter and singing express delight. Lifting their voices in this Song of Ascent, the pilgrims felt the joy of the ancient Israelites. Even the heathen witnessing Israel’s return proclaimed the greatness of Israel’s God. In this daily devotional, when the Lord does great things for you, it’s evident to others that you serve a Mighty God.
He Makes You Glad
They proclaim in verse 3 that God has done great things for them, for which they are glad. There’s a praise song that says, “I will rejoice for He has made me glad.” When the Lord does good things for you, let rejoicing and gladness fill your soul, as this releases your faith.
Weeping endures for only a night, but His joy comes in the morning. So take off heaviness and put on the garment of praise. In your daily devotional, praise becomes the upright; God has kept you as a testimony of His goodness and mercy.
Reap in Joy
Verse 5 states, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Tears reveal a contrite heart. Sowing seeds in tears means you’ll be blessed during harvest season. In Matthew 5:4, Jesus says, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” In this daily devotional, crying out to God means your tears aren’t wasted.
Psalm 34:17 declares, “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” In Psalm 56:8, David prays that God will bottle his tears and record them in His book. In your daily devotional, your tears are precious to God. Faith moves God; your tears are your heart’s cry. Cry out to Him in faith.
His Joy is Your Strength
Verse 6 declares, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Your tears aren’t in vain, for God hears the brokenhearted. Your tears will lead you to the joy of the Lord. For His joy is your strength. In today’s daily devotional, when you cry out to Him in faith, He turns the tables, bringing healing and restoration to your soul.
