"He Works it Out"

"Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD." (Psalms 97:8)
If there ever was a perfect illustration of God's desire for how we should react to His unconditional love, then this verse surely speaks to that. As with the meaning of "wrought" in the KJV of John 3:21, it speaks of doing business, or to make gains by trading; kind of like that song that says, "I'm trading my sorrows; I'm trading my shame." It's really like the opposite of being "confounded," as we put our confidence in God, who is All-Powerful, and who loves us more than we even love ourselves. As we started a new chapter this last Sunday, Pastor Rick gave us an introduction to the Book of 1 Samuel by showing us how God works everything out for those that trust in Him, regardless of the circumstance, the adversaries, or even in the barrenness! Basically, God works in all situations, whether we are looking for Him to do something particular or not, He gets things done! Our number one priority in the midst of any situation is to worship God; not for the situation, not for a desired outcome, not even for the way it might make us feel; we worship God for who He is and all that He has done, in Spirit and in Truth. Speaking about "The Power of God," the "judgments" spoken of in the verse above are not only speaking of a sentence or a decision, they speak of God's sentence or decision, as in, God has the final word! There is really nothing you or I can say to change God's judgment or to make Him decide to change His mind; He has made up His mind over us far before we were even born, as hard as that is to comprehend. It's all pretty mind-blowing, I know; but if we can just put our trust in Him, He really does know what is best for our eternity. This is why it is so important that we remain eternity-minded, because with all of the bumps in the road, it is easy to take our eyes off the prize every time we stub our toe. That is basically all it ever is, whether it's a big thing or a little thing, nothing that can happen to us here compares to our eternity in heaven, nothing! If God is for us, who or what can stand against us? If we are His child, then ABBA knows best; that is the theme Pastor Bryan has put behind our journey through 1 Samuel; and that is the desired response that God is looking for when it comes to our worship...
""Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! For the LORD will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the LORD himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster. On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, "Cheer up, Zion! Don't be afraid! For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."" (Zephaniah 3:14-17) NLT