Rejoicing Because God Does Great Things for Us

Scripture — Psalm 126:1-3 (NRSV)

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.

Devotion

The long history of Israel as narrated in the Old Testament is marked by repeated seasons of suffering. Usually, these painful times come as a result of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. And, usually, after a time of sorrow, God shows mercy to God’s special people, redeeming and restoring them.

Psalm 126 begins by celebrating one of those occasions of redemption and restoration. The psalmist remembers a time when “the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion” (v. 1). It was a wondrous time, which felt rather like a dream. The Israelites shouted with joy (v. 2) as God’s goodness was recognized even by the Gentiles. Summarizing this experience, the psalm writer exclaims, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced” (v. 3).

Perhaps you’ve known this kind of joy, either in your own life or in the life of someone close to you. I think, for example, of a married couple in a church I once served. I’ll call them Stan and Danielle. They were terribly eager to have children but struggled with infertility. After years of trying to get pregnant and spending thousands of dollars on medical procedures, Stan and Danielle sadly concluded that God had other plans for their lives besides parenthood. Yet, a couple of years later, without any medical assistance, Danielle became pregnant. She and Stan “were like those who dream.” They almost couldn’t believe what was happening to them. Though they were concerned about Danielle’s age – she was in her late 40s – she had a successful pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy little girl. She and Stan received this child as a gift from God. Moreover, they would gladly tell anyone who would listen, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.”

In time, their initial exuberance faded a bit as they wrestled with the demands of parenthood. You might say that their happiness subsided. But their joy, a deeper and more lasting sense of God’s goodness to them, a joy filled with gratitude, continued. In fact, a few weeks ago, I ran into Danielle as I was working in a local coffee spot. As we caught up on life, I sensed that her joy remained strong.

This kind of joy is a response to God’s mercy, to be sure. It is often mixed with temporary happiness that has mainly to do with the particular blessing God has given. But, more deeply, joy of this sort is a response, not just to the good thing that happened, but also to the good God who made it happen. When we experience the great things God has done for us, we come to know the greatness and grace of God more truly, which inspires deep and lasting joy.

If you’ve been reading Life for Leaders for several years, you may remember that I almost died nine years ago. Bitten by a tick while hiking, I contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a very rare disease in California. I was not diagnosed until I had been very sick for many days. Most people who have that disease for as long as I did will suffer major, lifelong physical losses or, as is often the case, death. But God, adding miraculous healing to excellent medical treatment, not only spared my life, but also preserved my health. I can truly say, “The LORD restored the fortunes of Mark.”

When I remember that experience, I feel joy. Yet it’s not just the joy of being healed from a dire disease. It’s also the joy of receiving God’s mercy, thus knowing our merciful God more genuinely and intimately. I am happy that God did great things for me. But, even more, I feel the joy of knowing God more truly and intimately.

Like the Israelites, we can look back upon our lives and say, “The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoice.” But our joy isn’t only a response to these great things. Even more, our joy comes in knowing the Lord who mercifully does these things. Most of all, we rejoice because we know God as the one who restores us through Jesus Christ.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Streams in the Desert.