Have you ever experienced a time when God did something really amazing in your life and restored you from a time of distress and incredible burdens? Maybe someone died in your family and you dropped quickly into a time of depression. Perhaps you were in an abusive marriage. It could be that you were far away from God and needed Him to do that “amazing” thing in your life where He shows up and rescues you from the bondage of some form of addiction. Whatever the situation, God wants to do that thing in your life that will allow you to give Him the glory for it all. For Israel, it was 70 years of captivity with the Babylonians. They were tired of being held captive and God, through His compassion, released them.
When God shows up
When God showed up and released Israel from their 70 years of captivity they “were like those who dream” (v.1). They said to one another, “Is this a dream?” I’ve been there. I’ve been in the depths of despair and to the edge of the cliff of depression. But God showed up. I cried out to Him and he restored me personally. How about you? When God does something huge in your life it is almost like a dream. This is what Israel was thinking. I can imagine them saying, “If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up. Let me sleep!”
Their next response was that of laughter. This unexpected grace given to the nation of Israel by releasing them from captivity caused joy-filled laughter (v.2). This was a time of inexpressible joy. Again, have you ever been to that place? That place where God extends grace to you and you really have no words to express your joy? Laughter is a great way to express God showing up unexpectedly in your life.
Third, they expressed shots of joy to the Lord (v.2). This should always be our response when God does those unexpected grace-filled miracles in our lives. Notice what they said to the nations. Oh, and by the way, it is extremely important that they said these things to the nations. Their praise was not closed up in some worship center or a house. It was proclaimed to the nations. They wanted the nations to understand that it was God who did the miracle release from captivity. So what did they say to the nations?
“The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad” (v.3). Can you say that today? Can you say that with confidence? Can you say, “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad?” In many ways, it is an early form of evangelism. When we talk about what God has done for us it helps others to understand why we love Him so much.
When we continue to pray
It is always important to continue to pray after God does the miraculous. Sometimes we stop praying after receiving God’s grace and mercy until the next tragedy or problem arises in our lives. However, the psalmist here responds by praying that the Lord would “restore (their) fortunes” (v.4). Not only did God release them from their Babylonian captivity but he also restored their previous fortunes.
Their temples filled again and worship was the result.
When we show humility
It is very easy to accept God’s grace and mercy in our lives only to then become distracted with life’s many duties and daily activities. But God desires our humility at all times. One of my favorite verses helps us understand the necessity of humility. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). This basically covers Psalm 126. There is a time for excitement, laughter, joy, and praise for God and His provision. Peter shows us that all we do should be done with a humble heart. And this humble heart should understand that if you cast your cares and anxiety on Him he will act out of His care for you.
So how are you really doing today? Do you feel like you’re being held captive by certain addictions, problems, marriage issues, parenting issues, or simply friends and issues surrounding your relationship with them? God wants to provide grace to you in each of those areas as you pray and ask.
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Some Questions…
- What areas in your life do you need God to do amazing things?
- Are you able to discern when God does things considered miraculous?
- Describe a time when God did something incredible for you?
- How did you respond? How might you respond after reading through today’s devotional?