"I started the work weeping, I finished rejoicing."
(Written on a Babylonian cornerstone.)
I love this quote. I feel that it's a summary of the past few years of my journey. Due to some choices, events, life circumstances, etc. I went through quite a struggle starting 3 years ago. As I went through that time there was most certainly a great deal of weeping, and plenty of times when I wondered if there would be a day my face wouldn't feel the warmth of salty tears. But, as Psalm 30:5 says "...weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." I started the work of refinement, analyzing decisions I'd made, and repenting of times I tried to step in the way of what God was doing with weeping. I finished that work rejoicing in God's faithfulness to walk with me; marvelling at His redemption of all the bad decisions I'd made; resting in His love of the person He created me to be (and not the person I sometimes fear people see). Last week in church Bill (our missions pastor) made the comment that God not only restores those things within us that are broken, He makes them better than they were before they were ever broken in the first place. I thought about that statement in light of my life and I'm so grateful to see the truth in it. I'm so grateful to see the weeping turn to rejoicing!
3 comments:
Very insightful. I think your mission pastor was right on the mark about God not just restoring, but improving us when we go through tough times. Are you familiar with the song, He washed my eyes with tears that I might see? God is molding you into a beautiful vessel!
Amber I found your comment a real blessing. I first came across this Babylonian quotation whilst reading a commentary on Ezra 3 v 11 -13, which describes the reactions of the Israelites when their restored temple foundations were laid. Verse 13 says "No-one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping" The older people wept because they looked back and saw how God had brought judgement when the former temple was destoyed, but now he was showing his grace" He had fullfilled his plan of restoration. He had fulfilled the prophesy of Jeremiah "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." He was restoring "the years that the locusts had eaten". God is indeed a holy God who will judge, bur he is also a gracious God who wants to restore his creation, to make all things new. As Philip Yancey says, Grace does not excuse wrong, but it treasures the wrongdoer. True grace is shocking, scandalous. It shakes our conventions with its insistence on getting close to evil and touching it with mercy and hope. It forgives the unfaithful spouse, the racist, the child abuser. It loves today's AIDS ridden addict as much as the tax collector of Jesus's day.
Praise the Lord for His "scandalous" grace. I'm so pleased that your weeping is now turned into rejoicing. God bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you and continue to be grace to you.
Thanks Dave! Your comments were greatly appreciated. I especially liked Ezra 3:13. How beautiful is it that when God works He does it completely and brings such freedom and joy that the shouts of joy overwhelm the weeping that once came from deep within. I'm so grateful to serve a redeeming God. God bless!
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