Sins of our ancestors

Psalm 79 is a very visual psalm in the first few verses.

It starts by proclaiming that pagan nations have conquered our lands, and that the bodies of the Lord's servants have been left as food for the birds, the flesh of godly people have become food for wild animals.  Blood flowed through Jerusalem like water.

And that's just the first three verses.

We are mocked by our neighbors--something many have felt this past election season in the United States.  We have been mocked by our faith, our convictions, when the hypocrisy from others have been ripe and vengeful.

Verse 8 stood out for me: "Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors!"  So much of our division nowadays seems to stem from past events.  Events that occurred several decades, if not centuries ago.  Even against people who are long since dead.

But in the end of this short psalm, it pleads that we the people of the Lord, like the sheep of God's pasture, will thank you forever and ever.  We will pass on our praise to Your Greatness from generation to generation.

Amen.

An advocate for God

Continuing on in the book of Job, chapter16, Job responded to his friends about how empty their words of supposed comfort are, that he would do a better job of stringing words together than them.

What Job was looking for was an advocate of God.  He knew he couldn't speak to the Almighty Lord Himself, so the next best thing would be an advocate.

Job's enemies have attacked him from all angles.

There is a saying that keeps me going each day: God can bring you to it, and God can bring you through it.  Whenever I'm struggling with something tough, I'm reminded of this.  So much was done to Job, and yet he still wanted to have a conversation with God.

Speak to Him through prayer.