![]() ![]() He ended by questioning his doubts and affirming the resilience of his refined faith: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (v. Though he was overcome with waves of sorrow and suffering, the psalmist’s hope shone through the remembrance of God’s past faithfulness (vv. He acknowledged his “downcast” and “disturbed” soul before encouraging readers: “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (v. The writer of Psalm 42 expressed his raw emotions to God (vv. When my son Xavier plugged in the lights, I whispered, “Thank You.” He said, “You’re welcome.” My son didn’t know I was thanking God for using the flickering bulbs to turn my eyes toward the ever-enduring Light of Hope-Jesus. ![]() All I wanted for Christmas was another day with my mom. And I should have been preparing for holiday visits between her scheduled treatments. My mother’s shiny red cross should have been hanging next to her bed at the cancer care center. As God provides what we need, let’s strive to live out and declare the peace and unity found in Jesus (vv. Today, there are many things that can divide us. The “Good News of peace” made it possible for all to be united by faith in Christ (vv. that separated us” by “his death on the cross” (vv. But Jesus brought “peace” and reconciliation between the Jews and gentiles and between God and all people. It kept gentiles from entering beyond the outer courts of the temple, though they could see the inner courts. And it was symbolized by the dividing wall (the soreg) in the ancient temple erected by Herod the Great in Jerusalem. The wall had existed between Jews (God’s chosen people) and gentiles (all other people). Paul wrote of a “wall of hostility” torn down by Jesus (Ephesians 2:14). US President Ronald Reagan stood at the wall in 1987 and famously said, “Tear down this wall.” His words reflected a groundswell of change in the region that culminated with the wall being torn down in 1989-leading to Germany’s joyous reunification. In fact, from 1949 to the day the structure was built, it’s estimated that more than 2.5 million East Germans had bolted to the West. Erected that year by the East German government, the barrier kept its citizens from fleeing to West Germany. Since 1961, families and friends had been separated by the Berlin Wall.
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