forliberty--a brave heart's quest for freedom

The Maskless Woman

The to-do list of the “Virtuous Woman” in Proverbs 31 can be intimidating for many Christian women.  She is to be admired, of course, and we strive to be like her.  I think verses 25 and 26 of Proverbs 31 give a clue as to why she is so virtuous.  “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.”  Her “to-do” comes out of her “to-be.”  I have a feeling that if there were a Proverbs 32, we would find out more about who this woman is.

In Life Group today, (home group of ladies who now meet via ZOOM.) we were talking about hypocrisy based off of Pastor Josh Davis’ sermon last Sunday.  I would recommend watching it at horizoncommunity.church, especially if you feel Christians or church goers are a bunch of hypocrites.  The ladies in my life group are not hypocrites.  In our discussion we were challenged to share what stands out to us about the most non-hypocritical people we’ve met.  I thought about those characteristics and combined them into a fictional woman.  Since the word “hypocrite” is derived from the Greek word for actor, or mask wearer, I call this fictional Proverbs 32 woman “The Maskless Woman.”  Here is her tribute:

Who can find a woman without hypocrisy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          She is a treasure most comforting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     When you’re in her presence, you can relax and be yourself.

When you sit down to talk with her, she looks directly in your eye.                                                                                                                                                                                                                You know you have her complete attention.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        She listens to understand, not to make her response.

She welcomes you into her home with warm hospitality.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  No matter the state of her home, you know she’s glad you came.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    She will no doubt make you a cup of tea and offer chocolate if she has any.

She listens with respect, and no judgement is in her thought.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           You can talk to her about anything and know she’s sincerely interested.                                                                                                                                                                                                      You can tell she genuinely cares about you.

If you’re rejoicing, she shares in your celebration.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  If you’re in pain, she sits in silence with an arm around your shoulder and helps you bear it.                                                                                                                                                            When it’s time for words, truth and encouragement come from her lips.

She’s not just there for the good times.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  She sticks with you when times are hard.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            You know she loves you either way and won’t abandon you.

She reminds you of who you are in God’s sight.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   She tells you that all of His children have questions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  She can tell stories of His faithfulness in the past and give hope for the future.

She freely shares her own struggles.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    She’s open and honest, and invites you to be open and honest, too.                                                                                                                                                                                                            Humility is her hallmark as she considers no one to be beneath her.

She loves you too much to let you stay with the consequences of your bad choices.                                                                                                                                                                                   She will offer you resources and support until you are back on your feet again.                                                                                                                                                                                             She will share loving correction and suggestions for growth and not gossip about your struggles with anyone else.

Her eyes may hold a sparkle of humor or she may shed a tear.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       You feel you are her “favorite,” though you know she has many favorites.                                                                                                                                                                                                   You want to stay with her forever, yet she challenges you to go out live the life God has called you to.

Her character is forged from her sincere relationship with God.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         She is grounded in the Bible and her counsel comes from it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          You can count on her prayers being powerful and effective as she prays for you.

She wears no mask, nor does she need one.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        She is secure of who she is in Christ Jesus.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     The good fruit she bears will be all the praise she needs.

 

As I mature in Christ, I want to be more and more like this “Proverbs 32” maskless woman.  As I become more like her, I know the good deeds personified in the Proverbs 31 woman will flow from my developing character.

 

© 2020

Beth Yancey

Attitude Adjustment

I’ve been finding it’s a mental and spiritual battle to keep from sinking into doubt and confusion in this season.  It seems like we’re hit with a new crisis or tragedy every day.  It’s hard to see a path forward when there is so much unknown and loss.

Then I went to a drive-up prayer meeting last night. We sang songs of praise to God and joined in worship.  We read Scriptures that are as relevant today as when they were written.  And then we prayed.  We gave thanks and prayed for our world, or nation, our state and community.  We prayed for our church and the Church of Jesus Christ world-wide.  It was wonderful to join with my fellow believers again.  Being in community gives opportunity to strengthen each others’ faith.  We don’t feel so alone or isolated when we meet in community.

At the end of the service, I was reminded of what one of our former children’s pastors always said.  When the kids were getting squirrely or whiney in children’s church, he would simply say, “attitude adjustment.”  The kids knew it was time to re-focus on God and what He was saying.  Time to leave the bickering, anxiety and boredom aside.

The Lord spoke to me, and maybe He’s speaking to you, that I needed an attitude adjustment.  One of the speakers had just spoken about the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37.  It seems I have been focusing on the “dry bones” or current circumstances and not on how the Lord can breathe life into even barren, dry bones.

Sitting outside and looking at our church/school building,  I began remembering back to when our Christian school started nearly 40 years ago.  After the first year it seemed like there would be no way to go on.  We didn’t have enough money, kids or staff.  It seemed like all we had was dry bones and a calling from the Lord to raise up a Christian school for His glory.  Somehow, the Lord birthed in our hearts the faith to turn away from fear and hopelessness over the path forward.  We began saying, “I can’t wait to see how the Lord shows up and provides.”  He did provide and the school has grown to serve pre-k through High School along with a day care. 

The Lord challenged me to look at the barrenness and fear all around me.  I don’t see what the path forward will look like.  I do know none of it is a surprise to God and He knows just where He is heading.  I’m going to start proclaiming, “I can’t wait to see how the Lord breathes life into this situation.”

I am thinking of the young people who were at the prayer meeting last night.  Forty years from now, if the Lord doesn’t return, their generation will be facing a new challenge.  They will be able to look back to 2020 and see how the Lord was working.  They will follow our example and say, “I can’t wait to see how the Lord shows up this time.”

Reconciliation Prayer 5

Dear Father, As I’ve been praying for the division that is tearing us apart as a nation and around the world, I keep coming back to love.  Teach us to love each other sincerely, or as Miles McPherson says in his book The Third Option, teach us to honor the image of God in each other.  Teach us to love with the kind of agape love that is only possible as it comes from your Spirit into our hearts. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

            Teach us to be patient with each other.  Help us to endure as we each listen to each other and grow and change to be more of what you want us to be.

            May we be kind—not just kind in our thoughts.  Show us how to seek out and act on kind deeds toward each other.  Let these kind deeds not just target those we know and understand, but also those who are different from us in culture, beliefs and appearance. 

            May we never be jealous of each other.  Let us rejoice with those who rejoice and be genuinely happy for the blessings you have given out.

            Keep us from boasting.  As we realize all good things come from you, let us humbly accept your favor on our lives.  As bragging seeks to elevate ourselves and tear down others, please break that boasting spirit that might tempt us to brag.

            Let us never be arrogant.  As with bragging, pride is so against who you want us to be.  May we never elevate our position nor look down on another soul made in your image.

            As we engage in dialog with each other, check us if we are tempted to be rude.  Unseemly behavior is so ugly as it attempts to dehumanize another.  Let us never go there.

            May we never insist on our own way.  We get so conceited that we are right, that we insist others join our way.  Let us give others freedom to have and express their opinions without having them conform to ours.  Let us learn from each other and perhaps change if we need to.

            Keep us from being irritable with each other or from provoking each other to anger or violence.  May we be those who loving pour the peace of Jesus on volatile situations.

            May we never be resentful of each other.  This goes beyond jealousy to wishing harm on others.  It is wicked to conclude we have the right to harm another, and you abhor it.

            Show us how we have perpetuated injustice.  May we not only see injustice, but actively pursue righteousness.  We may need to lament and ask forgiveness for where we have been wrong.  Give us courage and humility to do so.

            May we seek out and rejoice in the truth.  Your Word is truth.  Let it transform our character to display personal excellence.

            As we learn to bear all things, may we cover with silence those things that don’t need to be spoken.  If we are going to be offensive or confrontational, teach us to guard our speech.  We need to learn to speak the truth in love.

            We choose to believe in and trust you.  Strengthen our faith to be a firm foundation for expressions of love to come forth.

            We wait in hope for you, Lord.  We are full of joy and confident in your plan, purpose and promises.

            You began and ended this passage on love with patient endurance.  Let us have courage and keep mentally strong as we endure the process of forming a more perfect union.

Only you, Jesus, can bring us to a place to love and honor each other.  As we learn to love your way, real, lasting change will take place. So again, we ask for your Spirit to be poured out.  Bring a revival of turning hearts to your salvation.  Soften our hard, bitter hearts.  May we hunger and thirst for your righteousness and justice.  Break the spirits of hatred and division.  We cry out in Jesus’ name, amen.          

1 Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud  or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

#forliberty   #prayerforreconciliation

Prayer #4

Dear Father, We’ve just come off Independence weekend when we in the U.S. celebrate the blessings of living in a country based on Judeo/Christian principles of freedom and rule of law under God. Thank you that our founders had the foresight to look to you for guidance in writing our Declaration, Constitution and Amendments. Thank you for the truth that all men are created equal and that it’s you who give us our inalienable rights. We mourn and lament that these principles haven’t always been equally applied or realized. We humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness for treating any of your children with injustice. Justice is a big deal to you, and we have too often fallen short. Yet, we don’t want to be like the fool in the Bible who tears down her own home. Show us how to build a “more perfect union” with justice fairly applied to all. Let us build and improve until all truly participate in the American dream. Show us how to soften our hearts and listen to those who feel they haven’t been heard. Help us work together to provide opportunities for stable families, good education, good jobs, wealth accumulation and equality for all American citizens. We stand against a spirit of anarchy which would divide and destroy us. We stand against pride and political posturing that would obstruct progress for political gain. We know that only as individuals turn their hearts to you, will we be ready and willing to work for the good of all our citizens. Send a revival of your Spirit to our country. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Proverbs 14:1 “The wisest of women builds her house,
but folly with her own hands tears it down.”

Hebrews 3:12-15 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said,
‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’”

#forliberty #prayerforreconciliatio

Reconciliation Prayer 3

Our Father, We thank you that you are our good, good Father.  Thank you that you are for us and always loving and providing for us.  As we pray for reconciliation on this Father’s Day, we acknowledge the extreme impact fatherlessness has had on dividing our country.  Those who grow up without a father in the home often lack direction and instruction.  They are many times more likely to grow up in poverty, leading to lack of opportunity.  A good father models how to be a productive citizen and to challenge oneself to succeed.  So, we cry out for a return to the value of fatherhood.  May the Church lead the way in modeling and providing father figures for those without fathers.  Give our local, state and national governments good ideas for encouraging fathers to stick around and parent their children.  Train those who haven’t had a role model in how to be good fathers.  Heal the hearts of those who don’t have fathers or who have had such a bad example that they are deeply hurt. You are the ultimate example, so we look to you to set the standard.  Turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children.  Break the spirit of rebellion in those children who don’t or can’t honor their fathers.  May strong families be the new normal for our country.  Please break the success of any who would want to abolish the nuclear family and diminish the importance of fatherhood.  It is a spiritual attack on your very image of “Father,” so we ask it would be broken in Jesus’ name.  We praise you and have great hope that much can be restored and established as we return to following your ways.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Malachi 4:5-6“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. ⁶ His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

#forliberty   #prayerforreconciliation

Prayer for Reconciliation

Our Father, on this Juneteenth day our hearts cry out for repentance, liberation and restoration (3 points from interview with Dr. Alveda King on Fox News today). Thank you that you have already broken down the wall of hostility that separates us. Only as we turn to you will we know true peace. We pray you would continue to break down the hostility in our nation. We ask that all who are seeking to divide and encourage the hostility will be silenced in Jesus’ name. Let there no longer be “both sides,” but just one human race side. As we examine our hearts, show us each where we need to repent for contributing to the hurt. Give us each courage to face our blind spots and change to conform to your Word. May those who are still in bondage to a failed system be set free. We ask for justice in our land and equitable opportunity for all. Again, let the strongholds which have been used to perpetuate injustice be broken in Jesus’ name. Give us wisdom to see the true agendas of those seeking to manipulate the narrative. We are one, so let us begin to act like it by bringing about true restoration. Restore to us what the enemy has stolen. I ask you to use these turbulent times for great good, Oh Lord. Just as you created one new group between Jews and Gentiles, may your Church rise up to truly become the body of Christ. There is only one body, and there is only one head—the Lord Jesus Christ. So above all, bring about the salvation of many, so as one we can work together to establish unity. Let us put to death the hostility that divides us. Thank you that hearts are awakening and softening to your truths. Be glorified in Jesus’ name, amen.

Ephesians 2: 14-16: “For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

Reconciliation Prayers

Like many of you I have been praying about how to be used of God to be a peacemaker, reconciler and healer in our current world circumstances.  I have been waiting—lamenting injustice and brokenness, listening and processing.  Then, this weekend I think I heard what my current assignment is to be.  I was listening to Pastor Josh Davis’ 6.14.20 sermon at horizoncommunity.church.  Josh spoke from Jesus’ teaching on the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5: 43-48, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.  But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.  If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.  If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.  But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”  The sermon title was, “What Would Jesus Do?”  Josh was addressing how followers of Jesus are to treat their enemies.  I think previously I had a false understanding of “enemy.”  I thought it was someone like The Taliban or some other organization we’re at war with.  Josh said an enemy could be anyone who disagrees with you or doesn’t like you.  I see so much division in our country, that it’s easy to identify enemies of this sort.  What is our response to be toward our neighbors?  First of all is the call to love them with the same love Jesus has for all of us:  agape.  The second is to pray for them.  I think we’re called to pray like Jesus did in John 17—with love, not malice and retribution in mind.  Thirdly, we’re to forgive them.  In the process of becoming “perfect” as our Father is, we become more like him as we respond to our enemies in these three ways.

So, the public part of my assignment is to pray for them.  I don’t like the fact that there are “sides.”  I thought we were all the human family and we’re all on the American side in the U.S.  To combat this us vs. them mentality, I will continue to allow the Holy Spirit to grow agape love in my soul for all mankind.  I will work on forgiving anyone who is breaking our unity.  I’ve realized that all that we are going through as a nation is not a battle against each other but is a spiritual battle.  Therefore, I will pray.  I’m going to be posting reconciliation prayers to my Facebook page and also posting on my blog site.  I’m praying the Holy Spirit will help me pray Spirit-led prayers.  I’ll try not to preach or teach in my prayers but be faithful to what I feel the Spirit is saying to us. Won’t you join me as we begin:

Dear Father,  I thank you that you are the Master Reconciler.  When once we were your enemies, against everything you stand for and taught us, you were pleased to become a man like us.  Thank you Jesus that You are The Prince of Peace and thank you that forgiveness through your blood shed on the cross is available to all. There are no “sides,” no divisions in you. Thank you that now we can be in your presence, cleansed from our sins and in right relationship with you.  We cry out for your Spirit of peace to come upon our land.  Break hearts so that we’re not fighting against each other.  By your Spirit, break the power of those who carry out evil thoughts and actions. Bring us to right standing with You, and then let unity reign in our land.  We’ve always valued free speech and freedom of thought.  I’m not asking for uniformity in thought and speech, but unity in love and respect for each other.  Let us not continue to see each other as enemies.  May a mighty revival of repentance sweep our land, bringing us reconciliation with you and moving our hearts to unity with our brothers and sisters. We ask these things in Jesus’ name, amen.

Colossians 1:19-22 “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.  Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

Beauty and the Corona Beast

My Mom’s listening to opera music.  It all started when my cousin shared with her Andrea Bocelli’s “Music for Hope—Live From Doumo di Milano.”  I listened to the end of the concert and was moved, too, as he sang “Amazing Grace.”  Somehow, the beauty of the music settles the soul and brings some peace to both mom and me.  (Nothing like a blind man singing “was blind but now I see!”)

Then I started listening to Mat and Savannah Shaw on their YouTube channel.  The 15 year-old girl and her dad have a goal of spreading hope during this pandemic time by sharing their passion for music.  Their production is simple and amateur, but their voices are amazing together.  When they sang “This is All of Ask of You,” I thought “This is unbelievably beautiful.”  In an interview on their channel Mat said, “The only thing more contagious than the virus is hope.”  I started thinking about beauty and how it can lift us out of dark times and bring us to a place of hope.

God must surely love beauty.  Consider the brilliant colors of fish in the sea, or birds and insects in the air, of plants and flowers on the land and the beauty of multiple people groups on earth. Some of this beauty was hidden for millennia as travel was limited and cultures were stagnant.  Still, it existed as God had created it.  We’re just now beginning to see the submicroscopic beauty in cells and the vast beauty of the heavens beyond the solar systems.  What is the purpose of all this beauty that God created if few have had the opportunity to enjoy it?  And how does this purpose fit into the times we are living in?

David’s prayer in Psalm 27 expresses his need to see the Lord’s beauty in the day of trouble in his time:

One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
 For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.

(verses 4 an5)

Could it be that one way we see the beauty of the Lord is through His beautiful creation?  His works are beautiful and the gifts he has given men and women are beautiful.  Whether it’s a creamy magnolia blossom, or a beautifully sung piece of music, this beauty is God-given and can inspire us to turn our thoughts toward Him.

Jesus said part of his mission was to bring beauty from the ashes of human suffering.  Isaiah 61 foreshadows what Jesus would say of Himself in Luke 4.  His mission would include:

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

( Isaiah 61:3)

The CoronaBeast battle is a fierce battle we all wage for our mental health.  I think the Lord has called us to consider the beauty all around us as part of our battle strategy.  Beauty leads to spontaneous praise of the creator, which lifts us out of despair.  (I remember the first time I went snorkeling and saw the beautiful diversity of fish in the tropical waters.  I almost drowned myself crying out with joyful exclamation.) So, let’s beat back this beast as it seeks to destroy our mental health.  As we exclaim ove the beauty in big and little things all around us, we will begin to feel joy and lift our hearts in praise to God.    

Holy Week # 7: He Is Risen. He Is Risen Indeed

“He is Risen.”  “He is Risen Indeed.”  This had been the believers’ call and response on Easter Sunday through the ages.  The women who had come to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body were the first to hear the words.  In Matthew 28, the angel announced, “Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.” (verses 5 & 6) They still didn’t understand what the angel was saying.  The tomb was empty, but they thought someone had come and stolen Jesus’ body.

After the roller coaster ride of Holy Week this was one more blow that they couldn’t process.  Then, Jesus began appearing to His disciples in His risen body.  The Bible says they were frightened and filled with joy.  Jesus stayed with them forty days, appearing to more than 400 people and reassuring them He had really risen.  He gave them final instructions and assured them He would be with them always. Then He ascended into heaven while they watched.

This is a miraculous, confusing, frightening story.  I wonder if the disciples questioned each other about whether or not they had really seen the risen Lord.  There were too many people who had seen Him and too many specific details for it not to be true.  The disciples again sheltered in place until the Day of Pentecost about a week later when the promised Holy Spirit came upon them. 

From that point on, there was no turning back for the apostles and followers.  Three thousand believers were added on Pentecost.  Since then, countless millions world-wide have known and experienced Jesus.  They wrote down the Bible so we would all know the words and deeds of Jesus.  They gave instruction on becoming a follower of Jesus through His grace and on living a life secure in the Father’s love. They were dispersed throughout the world through persecution, and carried the Good News with them.  Most of the earliest disciples died a violent death.  They knew what they believed about Jesus was true, even to the point of being willing to die for Him.

If we’re honest, this is a miraculous, confusing, frightening story for us too.  We’re over 2000 years removed from the events of Jesus life, death and resurrection.  How can we be sure they are true?  I think we are reassured the same way the disciples were.  Jesus appears to us through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit teaches us all truth in the Scripture.  He gives us power to tell others about the truth we have believed.  He is close to us, reassuring us we’re never alone.  And He comforts us when we grieve.  Then, He guides us into service for Jesus.  There are too many people who have known and experienced Jesus for it not to be true.

We may not understand all that is happening in our world.  We may wonder about our future.  But, we can say with confidence, “He is Risen and He Is alive.  I know it’s true because He has appeared to me.”

Holy Week #6: I Will Praise Him While It's Still "Saturday"

I think we relate more with Saturday of Holy Week than ever before.  The disciples were in hiding the day after Jesus’ crucifixion.  They were completely knocked off balance.  All their hopes, dreams and expectations of the last three years were gone.  They were grieving the death of their beloved rabbi.  They were in fear for their lives.  If Jesus’ had been ill-lawfully killed, what would happen to them? Would they ever find solid footing again?  Would there ever be another cause to work for?  What was the new normal going to look like?  Jesus wasn’t there to help them work through their fears and feelings.  He wasn’t speaking words of peace and hope over them.

This is so our world now in the midst of the worldwide pandemic.  Many are grieving the loss of a loved one.  Many have had to suffer or die alone without family members surrounding them.  Many have lost jobs and don’t know what there is to accomplish without work.  We’re left wondering how long will this last? Will we ever find solid footing again?  What will the new normal look like?  Maybe we feel God doesn’t see or care what is going on.  If we’ve only sought Jesus in the past to make all our circumstances comfortable for us, we may be very lost and afraid now. 

Saturday is a good day to pause and reflect on our faith.  Do we have faith in only the settled times?  Can we count on God when we can’t understand what He is up to? 

We have an advantage the disciples didn’t have.  Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us and bring us His peace.  He has said He will never leave us or forsake us.  Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”  Those word start Psalm 22.  I believe He had the whole Psalm in mind when He started it out.  Verses 22-24 of Psalm 22 say:

 “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
    I will praise you among your assembled people.
Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!
    Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!
    Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
    He has not turned his back on them,
    but has listened to their cries for help.”

Jesus knew God wasn’t ignoring His suffering.  He knew God would hear His cry.  The same can be true for us.  We know God has not turned His back on us.  We can praise Him and proclaim His great works, even while it’s still “Saturday.”  On Easter, the disciples would begin to understand.  Someday we will see things turn around for us.  Now, while we still don’t see and while we’re still waiting, let’s exercise our faith and praise Him.