Editor’s Thought - This particular Psalm gave me pause to think that all of us are captives in one way or another to the things of this temporal world. I am reminded that there is nothing that cannot be overcome by the love of and faith in our Creator. Admittedly it seems like it is a long ways off and a long time in coming.
However it is in His time that things are overcome, for I believe that our Father wishes us to learn lessons, and we being stubborn as we are with our own pride and self-inflated egos, refuse to learn quickly.
Moreover, it is due to the above flaws that we are allowed to wallow in our own miseries until such time as He feels we have learned.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of David.
1 When the Lord brought again the captivity of
Zion, we were like them that dream. (a)
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
and our tongue with joy: then said they among
the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for
them.
3 The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof
we rejoice. (b)
4 O Lord, bring again our captivity, as the rivers
in the South.
5 They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.
6 They went weeping, and carried precious
seed: but they shall return with joy, and bring their
sheaves. (c)
(a) Verse 1
Deuteronomy 30:3 - 5
3 Then the Lord thy God will cause thy captives
to return, and have compassion upon thee, and will
return, to gather thee out of all the people where the
Lord thy God hath scattered thee.
4 Though thou werest cast unto the utmost part
of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather
thee, and from thence will he 2take thee,
5 And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the
land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt
possess it, and he will show thee favor, and will
multiply thee above thy fathers.
Jeremiah 29:14
And I will be found of you, saith the Lord, and
I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you
from all the nations, and from all the places, whither
I have cast you, saith the Lord, and will bring you
again unto the place, whence I caused you to be
carried away captive.
(b) Verses 2 - 3
1 Samuel 12:24
Therefore fear you the Lord, and serve him in
the truth with all your hearts, and consider how
great things he hath done for you.
2 Samuel 7:21 - 22
For thy word’s sake, and according to thine
own heart hast thou done all these great things, to
make them known unto thy servant.
22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for
there is none like thee, neither is there any God
besides thee, according to all that we have heard with
our ears
Mark 5:19 - 20
19 Howbeit, Jesus would not suffer him, but said
unto him, Go thy way home to thy friends, and show
them what great things the Lord hath done unto
thee, and how he hath had compassion on thee.
20 So he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis,
what great things Jesus had done unto him:
and all men did marvel.
Luke 1:49
Because he that is mighty hath done for me
great things, and holy is his Name.
(c) Verses 5 - 6
Job 33:26
He shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable
unto him, and he shall see his face with joy: for he
will render unto man his 1righteousness.
Isaiah 35:8 -10
8 And there shall be a path and a way, and the
way shall be called 1holy: the polluted shall not pass
by it: for 2he shall be with them, and walk in the way,
and the fools shall not err.
9 There shall be 1no lion, nor noisome beasts
shall ascend by it, neither shall they be found there,
that the redeemed may walk.
10 Therefore the 1redeemed of the Lord shall
return and come to Zion with praise: and everlasting
joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain joy
and gladness, and sorrow and mourning shall flee
away
Isaiah 55:10
Surely as the rain cometh down, and the snow
from heaven, and returneth not thither but watereth
the earth, and maketh it to bring forth and bud, that
it may give seed to the sower, and bread unto him
that eateth
Matthew 13:23
But he that received the seed in the good ground,
is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it,
which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an
hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
Galatians 6:9
Let us not therefore be weary of well doing:
for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Revelations 21:4
And God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
neither crying, neither shall there be anymore
pain: for the first things are passed.