Psalms 66 & 97

Memory Verse: Psalm 97:12 - “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name.”

Song: Come and See (Psalm 66) by Kingdom Kids and Shane & Shane 

I remember my first trip to China as if it took place yesterday. I was 22 years old and a senior in college, and it was a singular moment in God’s story of my life that completely reshaped my trajectory. I remember it so clearly because it is a moment I have reflected on many times over the last 23 years. At times, it is a moment of sadness; at times, a moment of hope; at times, a moment of calling, but in the moments of reflection, it always brings me to rejoicing. God’s promise that all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages will one day bow down to worship and give Him the Glory He deserves has led my family and me to lay our life’s plans down for the sake of the Gospel. At that singular moment, though, I had no idea of how I would see God’s true might and justice take shape.

I have watched the words of Psalm 66:20 ring true repeatedly that when we are in tune with the Spirit in our prayers to God, He answers those prayers and accepts His people. I have watched governments attempt to keep Christ away from their people, but God, being so great and mighty in His deeds (66:5), has made Himself and His Word accessible in places it would seem impossible. One of my last trips to China took me to a remote village, one that was difficult to get to, one that took significant intentionality to find. In that village, there was a single family whose God made a way for them to find Him. We spent the day with that family, hearing of the hardships they lived through as the only followers of Jesus in their area and the rejection they experienced from others in the village. In the light of a single light bulb in their home, we cried out as one voice to God the Greatness of Who He is (66:1-4). 

Here is what I know - in all the ups and downs of life, in the good times and the bad times, in the happiest of moments and in the saddest times, when God seems near or far, when the toils of the world seem too much, our joy can be found in God’s justice and might. God continually makes His presence known in the lives of His people. When we cry out to God, he listens. When we worship Him alone, He delivers us, and His joy overwhelms us. May we be people who Rejoice in the Lord and give thanks to His holy name!