Monday, March 30, 2020

Keeping Your Wits When Others Are Insane- Day 8



PSALM 126

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.


2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”

3 The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb!

5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!

6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him
.




I have an incredible blessing to have some championship rings.  Three football state championship rings, one state fishing championship, and two national fishing championship rings are in my office. They gather dust, are sometimes a conversation piece, and represent seasons where it just all fell right. It was the right mix of players, right match-up of opponents, good fortunes with injuries, weather, calls, and funny bounces of the ball, or a fish that just decided to bite.

But it is good to point back to those times- it helps. Not only were these grand memories, these were times of celebration and prosperity. Tangible victories.

But these are fleeting things as well. I coached 7 years before experiencing the first one. I worked and waited 5 years before the next one. The last football state championship was 2003, coming close to two decades now. There have been a lot of close misses along the way. And some seasons where it was a grind. We waited 8 years before we had any fishing success, and then it all happened dramatically in a short time.

Psalm 126 is an interesting tool for those who walk the path of long term discipleship. Past victories soothe us and propel us to find that time of celebration again.

Every championship brought on that same idea- immediately, by the way:  this is awesome... I want to do it again! And the enjoyment makes the desire to experience it again even greater.

I think that fire burning in our belly is a secret to youth and vitality.

I am always reminded of G.K. Chesterton:


A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life.
Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. 
But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony.
It is possible that God says every morning, 
“Do it again” to the sun: and every evening,
“Do it again” to the moon. 

It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them.
It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. 

The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.

—”The Ethics of Elfland,” chapter 4 in Orthodoxy.

When we get the victory (and we still have a long journey to get there) the excitement will be uncontainable.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.


2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”


You have experienced this before, the problem is that we forget.

And it is OK to LONG for the restoration of these things... we want the water to flow like streams in the desert (Negeb).

Now let me ask a deeper question.... What if the restoration we desire seems too long ago and we cry out for dreams long past.

I want to be young again... I want to run free, I want my scars and days of tears cast away!

I have good news for you!

Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!

6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him
.

Do you dare to lay hold of this?

And yes, there are good days ahead.... but there is an even greater reality waiting on me.

I will burst forth one day like an atomic explosion and find a new body, a new world, an eternal energy, and eternal bliss.

I will see my Savior, I will see my mom totally free and beautiful, my brother has been basking in God's glory many years now. I plan to play golf with Mr. Stegall, talk football with Coach Farris, and go on a boat ride with Terry Warren singing praises to God. I will wrestle Hardy Walker, and my grandmother will wipe away my tears of joy!

I miss them all so much!

That is why Paul never flinched:

Yes, and I will rejoice, [19] for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, [20] as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. [21] For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. [22] If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. [23] I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. [24] But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. (Philippians 1:18–24 ESV)

We found out yesterday evening that our days of social distancing were going to be extended... another two weeks!

But we can do it and WE HAVE TO do it! And we will have a day to play ball again, go out and eat, travel, work..... but we don't have to ever give in to hopeless angst!

As we climb today.. never forget the past days of true victory, hope, and celebration. Days of singing and dancing! Days where the goodness of God was so good we tasted it. We smelled it!

So that in the dark days we remember that times were good.

And we know God does not change.

We know that the dry streams will flow again.

I WANT MY CHILDREN TO SEE GOD DO IT AGAIN!

And I want to see Jesus now more than ever!

Note: I would like any reader, especially my international readers to send me an email: jayopsis@gmail.com. I would like to know more about how these devotions may be helping you and how you are holding up in the crisis.

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