Lord's Day Devotion - Devotional Prayer - Anger Turned to Rejoicing

 

Father, the fire of Your wrath burned so hot.  Yet in Psalm 30, verse 5, David says, Your "anger lasts only for a moment".  How terrible the intensity of that anger it must have been though.

When we look up to the cross where our Savior bore the full brunt of Your wrath for our sins, we can only praise Your holy Name in deep, deep gratitude and thanksgiving.

There were those three dark hours where Jesus suffered for our sakes.  Those hours must have felt like an eternity to Him, not "a moment" for He was separated from You, oh Holy God!  You had to hide Your face from Your one and only begotten Son, whom You loved more than tongue or pen can tell.

We are dismayed at this.  Nevertheless we know You were satisfied with Jesus and His work of buying our pardon on the cross.  Indeed, You have turned "weeping...into...rejoicing" and this we know will last a lifetime.

Any who have accepted this sacrifice, this gift of salvation, feel the solace in what Jesus has done for us.  He went down into that pit but He did not see decay.  You did not give Him the mercy on the cross. He gained only the answer of silence from these heart - piercing cries,

"My God, My God why have You forsaken Me" (Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1; and Psalm 24:9)?

Yet this non-mercy supplied the mercy You now show us.  We can cry for mercy and You hear our cry.  You help us and turn our sorrow into joy.  May our hearts ever sing Your praises and NOT be silent.   We will exalt You, oh Lord God, above the heavens.  We praise You and look forward to praising You for all eternity to come; our God, our Savior, our Redeemer and Friend.  In You we certainly can trust and never be shaken.

Keenly, we meditate upon this work You have accomplished for us, as it is so profound.  Humbly then, we partake of the broken bread, and drink of the cup of wine, and pass these emblems of Your suffering, Jesus, one to another.  We thank You too, from the bottom of our hearts and souls, as Your Holy Spirit teaches us and guides us in Your will and ways for our lives of service and good deeds for You.  We are so relieved we will not have to ever face Your Father's anger, ever again.  Joy and rejoicing has been brought to us and this we have for ever and ever.  How great You are, our Savior God!  It is well with our souls!

In Jesus Name we pray and thankfully praise.

                                                   ~ERC  November 2020~ 

Based on Psalm 30

Sing I Exalt Thee, Integrity's Hosanna