You Turned My Wailing Into Dancing

So I'm cheating again. But the Bible has some pretty cool stuff in it. I should actually get round to reading it sometime.

Psalm 30

1 I will exalt you, Lord,
    for you lifted me out of the depths
    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 Lord my God, I called to you for help,
    and you healed me.
3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
    you spared me from going down to the pit.

4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favour lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

6 When I felt secure, I said,
    ‘I shall never be shaken.’
7 Lord, when you favoured me,
    you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
    I was dismayed.

8 To you, Lord, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 ‘What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
    Lord, be my help.’

11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you for ever.

That's it for today. He loves me and He rescued me. 'Nuff said.

Shadows

So, I'm back. You may or may not have noticed that I didn't blog last week. I was tired and busy and didn't really feel like it. Today, those things still apply, but I have something I wanted to tell you about.

Mr Pastor's sermon last night was about Joseph's brothers returning to Egypt during the famine. To be honest, I wasn't really listening to much of it because my brain was sleepy and I wanted KFC (other fast food chicken shops may be available). But the bit that did stick out to me was this:

"Events from your past can cast long shadows."

This I know to be true. Things that have happened to you or things you have done, can be hard to shake off. I am currently peering around in some twenty-year-long shadows, trying to find my way back into the light. BUT:

"God is a light that shines into the darkness. The darkness is as light to Him."

He has come to set us free from the shadows. Be they guilt or pain or fear, He can bring His light to them and heal them. And in His Spirit, He has set His light in us. A burning candle cannot be in shadow.

By His grace:

We need not cower in the shadows any more,

but can step out into the light of the Everlasting Son.

New Beginnings

Christmas is over. I have to go back to work today. All the decorations have been put away and the presents long since unwrapped. It is, or it could be, a very sad day.

But I don't think it is. Today is the start of something new. In many areas of my life, new things are beginning or are about to begin. A lot of exciting stuff is coming my way. And that's just the stuff that I know about. If last year is anything to go by, 2014 holds all manner of things in wait for me. Admittedly not all of them will be good. But I wager that most of them will. And why am I so confident?

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 hope and a future.

(Jeremiah 29:11)

So in this new beginning, whether I know where it will lead or not, I know I am on a path. I put my faith in God and I know He will see me through. His plans are the best plans, and He is planning good things for me. He has given me a hope and a future. I can't wait to see where the path leads.

Christmas was only the beginning. Are you ready to start this new day with me?
With Him?