Psalm 9

·INTRODUCTION: Great to be here after this wild week. This morning we will be in Psalm 9, but our scripture reading actually will come from 1 Samuel 17, which gives us the context of our psalm this morning, if you want to turn there with me. The reading will also be on the screen. As you turn there, ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Read 1 Samuel 17:41-50, pray, you may be seated, drink.

Psalm 9 is all about overcoming. It’s all about GOD’S DELIVERANCE FROM ALL SORTS OF DIFFICULTIES!

I’m not going to sugarcoat it; this week has seen pretty major difficulties. Yet, in God’s great mercy, we are able to be here this morning to refocus together and to walk alongside one another.

Honestly, words may fail to comprehend or to fully communicate how our community has been impacted. Yet, Psalm 9, I firmly believe is the perfect Psalm for us to be in today!

As I was preparing this week, I found myself thinking about MLJ- pastoring in London during the blitz. Everyone else ran but he remained. He sent his family but he stayed behind. Why? To proclaim the Hope we have in Jesus! Our job is the same! To remind the world of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Psalm 9 is a perfect psalm to help us in that!

BODY: Psalm 9 is a psalm that is definitely different from Psalm 7 and 8, although, as Charles Spurgeon argued, it is inter-related with them and is placed right after them on purpose! Psalm 7 was a Shiggaion, which meant that it was a wandering psalm. Psalm 8 was chiastic, which meant that it was like a mountain. It began and ended in the same way and as we saw, verses 2-3 and 6-8 mirrored each other which put all the emphasis on vs. 4-5 of Psalm 8!

o Psalm 9 is an acrostic! If you read Psalm 9-10 in Hebrew, you will see all of David’s acrostic that he wrote on this occasion, but historically, in the Hebrew Bible these have been split apart because of their distinct message and tone! Psalm 9 is far happier than Psalm 10, which we’ll look at next week.

§ Today, we are looking at the first 11 letters of the Hebrew Alphabet in this acrostic song.

o The intro to this psalm says, “To the choirmaster: according to Muth-Labben. A Psalm of David.”

§ Muth-Labben is a musical term but there is also a cultural importance to this! Muth-Labben means literally that it is a song for young men to sing! It’s designed to be set to high pitched string instruments! David wrote this song to sing of God’s provision and sovereignty!

· But, that’s not all that we learn from this! A muth-labben was commonly associated with death. Now, what death are we talking about? That is NOT directly stated in this introduction, but early Jewish commentators and the early Aramaic translation all agree on the context.

o They say that this psalm is written, “Concerning the death of the champion who went out between the camps.”

§ It is believed because of that statement that the occasion of this psalm is David looking back at Goliath’s death! He writes this acrostic Muth-Labben to praise God and to remind the people of God’s GREAT VICTORY!

o In Psalm 9 there are 5 or 6 sections depending on how you look at it. We are going to look at 5 distinct sections today.

§ First, David gives thanks to God for providing victory in vs. 1-6!

§ Second, David declares his faith in God in vs. 7-12!

§ Third, David prays for deliverance in vs. 13-14!

§ Fourth, David declares the fate of the wicked in vs. 15-18

§ Fifth, David prays asking the Lord to move in vs. 19-20!

· Throughout sections 2-5, we see David alternate between prayer and declaration! Section 1 is almost David’s introduction into his message!

OUR MAIN POINT TODAY IS:

DELIVERANCE BELONGS TO THE LORD AND WE SHOULD PRAISE HIM FOR THAT AT ALL TIMES!

· Looking at this opening section of thanksgiving, in verses 1-2 David says, “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”- Psalm 9:1-2

o David starts off by saying that he will GIVE THANKS TO YAHWEH with his WHOLE HEART!

§ Remember, YAHWEH is the personal name that God gave to the Israelite people to address Him! David GIVES THANKS TO YAHWEH! David isn’t just giving thanks to a generic god, it’s to OUR GOD MOST HIGH!

· And that’s what David says in verse 2! Remember, in Psalm 7 and Psalm 8, we’ve seen David link the name of God with other terms for God. In Psalm 7, we saw, “YAHWEH ELOHIM,” or LORD MY GOD. This praised God for being God!

· In Psalm 8 we saw David say, “YAHWEH ADONAI,” or LORD MY KING, or LORD MY RULER!

· In Psalm 9, we see “YAHWEH, Elyon.”

יְ֭הוָה עֶלְיֽוֹן

o Elyon, sometimes written as “El-Elyon,” is a very interesting term for God. It only appears 20 times in the Old Testament, which is not very often. The vast majority of these uses are in the psalms and in Genesis 14 when Abram addresses the king of Sodom and speaks about God!

§ The origin of the term is not actually from the Israelites. Elyon was an adjective that the Canaanite people used to describe their chief god.

§ So why would David use it? David uses it because he is saying that TRULY THERE IS NONE LIKE YAHWEH! REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE FROM, OR WHAT god YOU CLAIM TO FOLLOW, THERE IS NONE LIKE YAHWEH, WHO IS ABOVE ALL AND IS THE MOST HIGH!

· Unlike the Canaanites, when David says this he is correct! YAHWEH is CHIEF OF ALL! YAHWEH IS MORE IMPRESSIVE, MORE POWERFUL AND MORE EVERYTHING than any fictional god out there! David uses the Canaanite word here to drive that point home and to show JUST HOW BIG GOD IS!

· DAVID PRAISES GOD WITH HIS WHOLE HEART BECAUSE OF WHO GOD IS! We can do the same this morning! No matter what has happened during our week, we can praise GOD FOR BEING GOD MOST HIGH WHO LOVES US PERSONALLY, WHO KNOWS US AND WHO MADE US!

· Looking at verses 3-6 we read, “When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence. For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgement. You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.”- Psalm 9:3-6

o David has given thanks for WHO GOD IS and now he turns his attention to GIVING THANKS FOR WHAT GOD HAS DONE!

§ Israel was surrounded on all sides by enemies who wanted to destroy them, both physically and spiritually. Yet, as David testifies, the enemies tried but they failed!

§ They were unable to stand against the POWER AND MAJESTY OF GOD!

· Do you think often of the power of God? People will try to stand against God, but they are TRULY UNABLE TO! There is no way they will ever be able to STAND AGAINST GOD!

· This isn’t an exaggeration! I taught world history for 2 years and while I student taught. I have never found a curriculum that heavily features the Amalekites, or the Ammonites, or the Amorites! I never was asked by a state standard to teach about the Moabites, or the Edomites!

o GOD BLOTTED THESE LARGE AND INFLUENTIAL CIVILIZATIONS TOTALLY OFF THE MAP! Why? BECAUSE OF THEIR WICKEDNESS! As they practiced idolatry and killed their children for sacrifices, they sinned against our Holy God and GOD PUNISHED THEM! GOD’S HOLY AND JUST WRATH IS REAL!

§ This should not only lead us to PRAISE FOR GOD and fear of GOD, but it should also give us confidence in the God that we worship!

§ That’s the power of our God! Our God causes nations to rise and He causes nations to fall!

· That’s what Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum and Habbakuk are really all about! They are about GOD’S POWER!

· So, with confidence, we can go to the Lord, knowing that none of our requests are TOO BIG! WE SHOULD PRAY BIG! Do you want to see repentance? Do you want to see many coming to faith in Jesus? PRAY FOR IT! OUR GOD IS POWERFUL!

· As we start verse 7, remember, we are moving into our second section. It’s a section where David declares his faith in God. In verses 7 and 8 David says, “But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.”- Psalm 9:7-8

o THE LORD RULES FOREVER! We know this is true today and it will be true forever!

§ YAHWEH RULES! Remember, our God is Elyon! He is the MOST HIGH! HE RULES OVER EVERYTHING!

o Not only does God rule forever, He rules in justice and judges in righteousness.

§ Let’s take a second and talk about this.

§ Righteousness is perfection! Listen to this definition that Fred Zaspel used while writing for The Gospel Coalition. He says, “Righteousness is essential to God’s very being and characterizes all that he does: God is morally and ethically right, and he acts only in keeping with what is right and just.”- Fred Zaspel

· God’s rule is RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE GOD IS RIGHTEOUS! Righteousness is not only an adjective for God though! Righteousness is A CORE ATTRIBUTE OF GOD!

o We see it talked about in places like Genesis 18:25, Jeremiah 23:6, Zepheniah 3, 2 Timothy 4:8 and many others!

o GOD IS RIGHTEOUS AND HE RULES IN RIGHTEOUSNESS! THIS MEANS THAT ALL OF GOD’S RULINGS ARE JUST! HIS JUDGEMENT IS PERFECT!

§ No human judge can ever be perfect, but GOD IS!

§ It may not feel like it in the middle of a difficult time, but GOD IS RIGHTEOUS AND HE IS ALWAYS RIGHT!

§ When we suffer, when we struggle, cling to GOD!

· Don’t despair if times are hard, God is righteous EVEN IN THAT!

o Consider what James says for instance about trials.

o James wrote, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

§ WE ARE TO CONSIDER TRIALS AND HARD TIMES JOYOUS! AND WE CAN DO THAT BECAUSE WE SERVE A RIGHTEOUS GOD WHO RULES IN RIGHTEOUSNESS! HIS RULING IS RIGHT!

· Likewise, consider what Jesus said in Matthew 16! Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

· Don’t miss that first part! DENY YOURSELF, AND CARRY YOUR CROSS! JESUS IS CLEAR, IT WILL BE HARD SOME DAYS!

o There will be challenges as we follow God! Paul wasn’t kidding when he talked about life as a long RACE WHERE WE MUST ENDURE!

o Or consider what Jesus discusses in Matthew 10:22-24! Jesus talks about how, and I quote, “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.”

§ BUT GUESS WHAT! EVEN IN THAT, GOD IS RIGHTEOUS! HIS JUDGEMENTS ARE RIGHT AND JUST AND WE CAN REST IN THAT!

We don’t need to seek revenge, we don’t need to seek retribution, OUR GOD IS RIGHTEOUS IN THIS AND WILL RULE VICTORIOUSLY!

· David shows us why in verses 9-10. David sings out, “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”- Psalm 9:9-10

o Not only is the Lord just in judgement, the LORD IS STRENGTH FOR THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED AND THOSE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH HARD TIMES!

§ We just said that the Lord rules in righteousness and is righteousness REGARDLESS of what situation we are going through! But now consider what David is saying!

§ He’s saying that YAHWEH, THE LORD, is our STRONGHOLD! The LORD IS OUR STRENGTH! I firmly believe that David purposefully uses YAHWEH here!

· ONLY GOD CAN BE OUR STRONGHOLD IN DIFFICULT TIMES! EVERYTHING ELSE WILL EVENTUALLY CRUMBLE AND FALL SHORT!

o I know that sounds cliché, but it is the truth! We can always count on God though! Do you feel surrounded on all sides by pressure and hopelessness? Are you facing rejection because of your faith? GOD IS WITH YOU! Are you just having a hard day? GOD IS WITH YOU!

o Now, David uses an interesting idiom in verse 9. David’s statement, “Stronghold in times of trouble,” can also be translated, “Stronghold in times of drought.”

§ Spiritually we go through seasons of drought don’t we! We go through seasons where we feel far from God! But even in those hard times, GOD IS NEAR TO US! GOD IS OUR STRONGHOLD!

· In other words, regardless of what we face, we can lean into our RIGHTEOUS AND SOVEREIGN GOD TRUSTING HIM!

§ This also applies physically. Factually speaking, this growing season has been full of difficulties! From drought to destruction, it can be discouraging!

· But rest assured, even in this challenge, GOD IS WITH US AND IS IN CONTROL! It may not make perfect sense to us, BUT GOD IS WITH US!

o In verse 10 we see that David reminds us that the LORD DOES NOT FORGET US! THE LORD WILL NOT FORSAKE THOSE WHO SEEK HIM!

§ No matter what it feels like, no matter what satan says, GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOU!

· There’s something really interesting with the grammar tense that David uses here. David uses the perfect tense here when talking about GOD NOT FORSAKING US!

o What’s so special about that? Well, it isn’t the active tense, it’s the perfect tense which shows completed action. In other words, David is saying, “GOD IS ALREADY PROTECTING US!”

o David’s use of the perfect tense here should ENCOURAGE OUR HEARTS AND OUR SOULS KNOWING THAT GOD’S PROTECTION IS PERFECT AND COMPLETE!

§ EVEN BEFORE WE CAN CRY OUT TO GOD, GOD IS ALREADY PROTECTING US!

· So really, the only question is, “Are you seeking Him?” HAVE YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN JESUS THAT HE LIVED A PERFECT LIFE, DIED ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS AND ROSE AGAIN ON THE THIRD DAY?

o DO YOU SEEK GOD ON A DAILY BASIS?

· Verses 11 and 12 continue down this same road! David cries out, “Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.”- Psalm 9:11-12

o OUR GOD REIGNS! Not only does our God reign, David challenges us to TELL THE WORLD ABOUT OUR GOD’S REIGN!

§ This is not merely a challenge for the Israelites, this is a challenge for us! As we read the Bible, we have to see that it is a MISSIONAL BOOK! The Bible is alive and it challenges us to be on mission!

· There is no way to be a Christian who is in obedience to God that is NOT ON MISSION TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT GOD AND THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION THROUGH JESUS!

· It should be an innate part of our daily lives! That’s really what David is challenging us with! OUR FAITH IS A MISSIONAL FAITH AND IT IS FURTHER A DISCIPLING FAITH! We don’t merely tell people about God, we WALK WITH THEM THROUGH LIFE, supporting each other and pointing one another to GOD!

o Not only that, David declares once again that THE LORD IS BOTH AN AVENGER and will punish the wicked, AND HE ALSO DECLARES THAT THE LORD DOES NOT FORGET THOSE THAT ARE STRUGGLING!

§ Our world is struggling. There is hurt left and right. In many ways, it’s fair to say that we have a culture that is hurt and hurts others! People are struggling and are afflicted!

· WE HAVE HOPE TO GIVE THE WORLD! THAT’S WHAT DAVID IS CHALLENGING US TO DO! WE ARE TO GO AND TO GIVE THIS HOPE TO THE WORLD!

· The psalms are not merely songs. Instead, they contain calls to action and this is a CALL TO ACTION! We must take the glorious wonder of the gospel and of the hope that we have in Jesus with us to the world EVERY SINGLE DAY! We must tell the peoples of GOD’S DEEDS!

o Spurgeon Member’s meetings- 12 a month, REJOICING TOGETHER AT THE GLORIOUS NATURE OF GOD’S KINGDOM! WE NEED TO CELEBRATE THOSE THINGS TOGETHER!

· In verse 13, David moves into a prayer for deliverance which fits quite closely with his emphasis on how GOD SAVES US!

o David says, “Be gracious to me, O LORD! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation.”- Psalm 9:13-14

§ David prays in this next section, crying out to God, asking that God would be GRACIOUS TO HIM!

§ David asks God to see his affliction and his suffering. He asks God to save him for a specific reason.

· He asks God to save him so that HE CAN PRAISE GOD MORE!

o To be clear, we are not just to pray the classic, stereotypical, ‘save me and I’ll do whatever” prayer. HOWEVER, WHEN WE ARE SAVED, WE OUGHT TO REJOICE IN OUR SALVATION!

§ This is what we should do in the hour of rescue! WE SHOULD REJOICE!

· This week we got hit by that extreme storm on Thursday. Although there is lots of cleanup to do, we can REJOICE in the fact that GOD SAVED OUR LIVES!

o We should hold onto that memory also! It isn’t enough to just be saved and then move on; we need to HOLD ONTO THE MEMORY OF GOD’S DELIVERANCE! WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PRAISE GOD FOR THAT!

· David moves into a fourth section in verse 15. David declares the fate of the wicked, saying, “The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught. The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgement; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah. The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.”- Psalm 9:15-18

o At the very beginning of our time together, I mentioned the importance of the order of the psalms. Well, this is a declaration that should remind us of what we read in Psalm 7. Listen to what Psalm 7:15-16 say about the wicked man.

“15  He makes a pit, digging it out,

and falls into the hole that he has made.

16  His mischief returns upon his own head,

and on his own skull his violence descends.”

The nations, are just like the wicked man in Psalm 7!

§ They both think that they are getting ahead, but really, their plots and plans are collapsing!

· We need to remember that revenge does not belong to us, VENGEANCE IS THE LORD’S! That isn’t just a cliché verse that is quoted in war movies; that is the ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

o Vengeance and revenge are NOT OURS! THEY BELONG TO GOD!

· David ends that phrase about the wicked being snared with a Higgaion, then a selah.

o Remember, selah means to pause and to consider! PAUSE AND CONSIDER THAT GOD IS TOTALLY SOVEREIGN AND WILL NOT FORGET HIS PROMISE TO US!

o Higgaion is a musical term that simply is believed to mean “harp interlude.”

§ David is giving instructions that in the middle of this declaration of the fate of the wicked, we should stop and reflect!

§ I think there are two reasons we need to stop and reflect. FIRST, let’s reflect on where we are with God! Do you need to repent for anything? REPENTANCE MUST BE A PART OF OUR DAILY LIVES!

§ Secondly, we should stop and consider, “Is there anyone that I need to forgive and let go of a grudge?”

§ This may seem almost cliché, but it is so important! We want to give these things to God. We NEED TO GIVE THESE THINGS TO GOD! WE NEED TO TRUST GOD!

o David continues on after this musical interlude for reflection and says,” The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.”

§ Now remember, Sheol is the Hebrew equivalent of hell. Afterlife theology was not well-established under the Old Covenant, but David knew that the wicked would face eternal punishment!

· On the other hand, the needy and the poor will not be forgotten forever!

o Now, this is not necessarily referring to physical wealth, much as Jesus is not referring to physical wealth in the Sermon on the Mount!

o David is talking about those who are NEEDY IN SPIRIT! In other words; those who fear God and LOVE GOD!

· Now, as we transition one last time, we see David move into a time of prayer as David asks the Lord to powerfully move. David cries out, “Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah.”- Psalm 9:19-20

o David pleads with the Lord, asking God to move and to deliver him from his enemies! He pleads on the basis of God’s faithfulness!

§ We’ve talked before about praying scripture, but what David is really doing is praying the attributes of God! David knows that God is faithful and that the LORD will prevail!

§ So, David prays it! David knows that GOD ALREADY IS FAITHFUL! This is a prayer that God WILL ANSWER!

§ In fact, if we remember the context; David remembering when the Lord helped him defeat Goliath, we know that GOD ALREADY HAS SHOWN HIS FAITHFULNESS!

· AND GOD DOES THE SAME TO US SO OFTEN! (EXAMPLES)

o David also asks the Lord to make the nations fear God and to remember who they are! David is asking for GOD TO MAKE HIMSELF KNOWN! David is really asking God to be faithful!

§ And look at how David ends. He ends this psalm with another selah.

· He’s challenging all who hear this psalm to PAUSE AND CONSIDER WHAT HAS BEEN SUNG! He’s challenging the young men who sing this song to PAUSE AND CONSIDER WHAT THEY ARE SINGING!

o This morning, let’s PAUSE AND CONSIDER WHAT IT IS THAT WE HAVE SEEN!

· CONCLUSION: This morning as we wrap up our examination of Psalm 9, there are three areas that I want to focus our application.

o Deliverance from Sin

o Deliverance from Wickedness

o Deliverance from all Trials

· God’s deliverance from sin is literally the most important thing that we ever could have and it is the entire point of the Bible!

o Our God, GOD MOST HIGH, has provided a way for us to be saved! He has provided a way for us to avoid the fate that David discusses!

o Jesus is fully God and fully man and CAME TO SAVE US! Jesus left heaven, lived among us as a human, lived a FULLY PERFECT LIFE, offered Himself as a sacrifice, being sentenced to death on the cross despite never sinning or breaking any law. Jesus did not argue this sentence because it was the WAY THAT WE COULD BE SAVED!

§ What we are told to do in the Bible is simple. REPENT AND BELIEVE! WE ARE TO CONFESS WITH OUR MOUTHS THAT JESUS IS LORD AND BELIEVE IN OUR HEARTS THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD AND WE WILL BE SAVED!

§ So if you are here and you have not done that; if you like all people who do not know Jesus are headed towards the fate that David discusses today, then I want to call on you to put your faith in Jesus for DELIVERANCE FROM SIN!

· Secondly, we can practically count on God for DELIVERANCE FROM WICKEDNESS!

o It’s easy to look around at the world and to feel overwhelmed! It’s easy to see the wickedness of our world and to simply want to quit! David expressed those same feelings today!

§ But, we can learn from David’s example! When we feel overwhelmed by wickedness, or by frustration at the sinful nature of our world, we can CLING TO GOD AND RUN TO GOD FOR COMFORT!

§ Are you discouraged? CLING TO THE GOSPEL! Trust me, we have the solution that our world needs! Our solution isn’t yelling at people, our solution is SHARING THE GOSPEL!

· We share the gospel out of obedience to God and there are so many reasons that we should!

o Great Commission- verse 11- It’s how we change the world!

§ As we think of July 4th coming up, let me ask a question. Do you want to see change in our country?

It’s going to happen through THE WORD OF GOD AND THROUGH FAITHFUL EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP! Change is going to happen through EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP! Ulimately, that’s our job! We know that this isn’t truly our home; rather, our home is with Jesus! We are here on a mission!

· Finally, we can count on GOD FOR DELIVERANCE FROM ALL TRIALS.

o This one hits close to home right now.

o This week, there was so much destruction and damage. However, God has been faithful even in this and will continue to be! We can and should praise the Lord for the protection that he has given, for the provision he has given us and for the fact that we know God is with us in this!

§ That doesn’t make this situation easier, but, we can walk alongside one another during this cleaning up phase and we can GLORIFY GOD through our actions in it!

§ Let me challenge you directly, if you need help, please ask. I’ve had many people reach out offering help, so if you need help, be open about it. There’s no shame in it!

· Instead, our community and our ability to help one another is an avenue of God’s deliverance that God has given us in this season! Truly, our help and care for one another can be a SHINING light to our world in this season!

§ Let’s pray.

Benediction: Romans 8:35-39

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Let me encourage you dear family, as we move forward from this storm and as there is so much to be done, damage to be repaired and damage that cannot be repaired, REMEMBER, JESUS IS WITH US! No one and no storm can separate us from Him! Cling to God and LEAN IN TO EACH OTHER! Almost non-stop since Thursday I have been getting texts from people offering to help one another. Genuinely, if you need help, let us know! Allow us to encourage one another and to support each other right now. We are here for you and for each other! Go in the peace and knowledge of that this week!

יְ֭הוָה