I was overcome by trouble and sorrow The shackles of death entangled me, the torture of the grave came upon me. Psalm 116 verse 3
But the name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous run into it and they are safe. Oh lord you are the one who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion. I called your name, O Lord my God, from the depths of the pit, you heard my plea and healed me. O Lord, you brought me out the grave and you spared me from going down into the pit. Psalm 30: 2, 3; Lam 3: 55
For many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all. The righteous man falls seven times but he rises up again.
Oh my enemies do not gloat over me when I fall because I shall rise up again. For the righteous are as bold as a lion
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies, thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house Lord forever. My soul craves for the dwelling of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! One thing I ask of the Lord: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and seek him in his Sanctuary. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Psalm 84: 1 -4; Psalm 27: 5, 4.
Because he who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall rest under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the Mountains surround Jerusalem so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. The sceptre of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous. For then the righteous might their hands to do evil. Do good oh Lord, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord with banish with the evil doers, for they are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked will perish.
So why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain, the kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his anointed one. Let us break their chains, they say and throw off their fetters. The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them, then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath saying, I have installed my king on Zion, my holy hill. I will proclaim the decree of the Lord. He said to me, ‘you are my son, today I have become your father’, ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron sceptre, you will dash them to pieces like pottery.
Therefore, you kings be wise, be warned you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry and you be destroyed. For his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
The Days are coming, declares the LORD, “when the reaper shall be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the Mountains and flow from all the hills. The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. For on Mount Zion there will be deliverance; it will be holy, and the house of Jacob will possess its inheritance. Psalm 72: 3; Obadiah 17.
I will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah, Then People who love his name will dwell there, their children will inherit it and dwell.
I will bring back my exiled people Israel, declares the Lord; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them.’
‘O Daughter of Zion, your punishment will end, I will not prolong your exile, I will not lengthen your suffering.
For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion. Though makes me see many troubles and bitterness, he will restore my life again He will increase my honour and comfort me one more time. For he does not willingly bring affliction, or grief to the children of men, so great is his unfailing love. Psalm 71: 20 - 21
This I remember and therefore I have hope:
Weeping may endure but for a night, but joy comes in the morning. For the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His faithfulness shall not come to an end. They are new every morning; great is his faithfulness.
I Jehovah do not change and because I do not change, you sons of Jacob are not destroyed. Surely I will save you from the fowlers’ snare and from the deadly pestilence. I will cover you with my feathers, and under my wings you will find refuge; my faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
Then will you confess that if the Lord had not been on our side let Israel say. If the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us. They would have swallowed us alive, the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us; the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the Lord who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowlers’ snare. The snare has been broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber, indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you, the LORD is your shade at your right hand. The Sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and your going both now and forever more.
In that day I will restore David’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places and restore it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name. The house of Esau will be stubble, and they will set it on fire and consume it. There will be no survivors from the house of Esau, declares the LORD, who will do these things.
But as for you, you will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand will fall by your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only behold with your eyes and see the reward of the wicked. Your eyes will see the defeat of your adversaries; and your ears will hear the rout of the wicked foes.
Then will you say, I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me from every side. What can man do to me? The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strong hold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?
When the enemy shall come like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Though he comes in one way he will flee in seven.
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war breaks out against me, even then will I be confident.
Then will I flourish like the palm tree; grow like a cedar of Lebanon, planted in the house of the Lord. I will still bear fruit in old age; I will stay fresh and green. Because the Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want, the Lord is my portion therefore I will be strong, and wait patiently for the Lord. For … it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. For I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh will I see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another man. For the People who know their God shall be strong and do exploits. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.
With Long life will he satisfy me and show me his salvation; he will satisfy my desires with good things so that my youth will be renewed like the eagle’s. Then will my head will be exalted like the unicorn above all my enemies who surround me; then I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Amen