The Lord Has Done Great Things For Us

SCRIPTURE

Psalm 126:1–6 NKJV

1 When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad. 4 Bring back our captivity, O Lord, As the streams in the South. 5 Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 6 He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.

INTRODUCTION

THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US! We’ve got so much to thank God for! He has answered our prayers! He has performed miracles! He has healed Ana-Lois! He has healed Anne-Marie! He has sent blessing! He has sent increase! He has multiplied! He has poured out His Spirit on us! He has made a way where it did not look like there was going to be a way! He has taken what the enemy meant for evil, and He has turned it around for our good! He has destroyed the weapons that the enemy tried to form against us! He has condemned every hateful, evil, demonic tongue that has tried to rise up against us in judgment! But God is not done yet. He, even now, is beginning to send a revival that is going to set our souls on fire for the Kingdom of God! I wish I had some people this morning that would stand up on their feet, clap their hands, and give the Lord a shout of thanksgiving and praise! Because THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US!

EXEGESIS

Psalm 126 was probably written by Ezra or by one of the prophets that came up out of the Babylonian captivity and returned to Jerusalem. It is a psalm or a song of joy and thanksgiving for bringing them out of captivity; for the restoration, blessing, and increase that the Lord gave to them.

Psalm 126 is referred to as “A Song of Degrees” or a “A Song of Ascents.” It is part of 15 psalms (Psalms 120-134) that are called the “Song of Ascents.” There were 15 steps leading up to the Temple in those days. As they approached the Temple to worship, they would sing one of these 15 psalms on each of these 15 steps. So these psalms were connected with the worship of God and coming into His presence.

Psalm 126:1 NKJV

1 When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream.

Zion represents the city of Jerusalem, but also in this case represents Israel as God’s chosen people. Because of Israel’s sin and rebellion, God sent Babylon to conquer them and send them into captivity for 70 years. But after 70 years, God promised and prophesied that He would bring them out of captivity and return them to their homeland.

And the author says that when the Lord fulfilled His promise to them “we were like those who dream.” In other words, it was like a dream come true! Almost an entire generation had passed. But there were still some there that remembered Jerusalem in her former glory, but they were old now. And the younger generation had known nothing but bondage and captivity and probably wondered whether the old prophets were right. Would the Lord remember and return to them like He said? Would the Lord break the bondage of the enemy off of them and return them to the place of Promise?

And God came through just like He promised! And God is still fulfilling His promises today! God is still restoring today! God is still blessing today! God is still increasing today! God is still pouring out His Spirit today! God is still working miracles today! We can look around and see all the things that God has done for us and say, THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US!

And look at how Israel responded and how the pagan nations around them responded:

Psalm 126:2 NKJV

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

They began to laugh with joy! They were overjoyed! Their hearts were overflowing! They couldn’t hold it in! They had to let it out!

My heart is filled with joy this morning! I am overjoyed! My heart is overflowing! I can’t hold it in! I’ve got to let it out! God has been too good! God’s grace is too amazing! God’s power is too awesome! God’s love is too overwhelming! I’ve just got to cry out this morning, THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US!

Even the pagan, godless, evil nations that surrounded Israel couldn’t help but notice that God had been good to Israel. Those among the other nations had to say, “The LORD has done great things for them.”

Can I tell you this morning that when God begins to bless, people will begin to take notice! When a church gets on fire and starts operating in the abundance of God’s provision, people want to come find out what’s going on! People that are sitting in spiritually dead churches that are not being fed and not getting filled will start being drawn to the light and heat of the fire of the Holy Ghost! They’ll get up off their petrified blessed assurance and start seeking out somewhere that has the true power of God moving and operating!

For 70 years, the nations around Israel had looked down in pity on them. They had probably said things like, “they are destroyed…God has forsaken them…they have nothing…there is no hope that they can rise up and become a nation again…it is impossible” But with God all things are possible! And the Lord made a blessing out of a tragedy! He turned an old song into a symphony! He restored life to dry bones! And the enemies of God’s people had no choice but to raise their voice and say, “THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR THEM!”

And God will do the same thing for us! I’ve heard the Sour Steve’s and the Negative Nancy’s. “It’ll never work. God is not with you. Who do you think you are? You have nothing. There is no hope. It is impossible.” But time after time God has proven Himself faithful. He’s brought blessing out of tragedy! He’s turned our old songs into a symphony! He’s restored life back to dry bones! And now those who have opposed us, and laughed at us, and ridiculed us will have no choice but to have to say, “THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR THEM!”

And look what Israel said of themselves:

Psalm 126:3 NKJV

3 The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad.

I’m like Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty. I am happy, happy, happy! THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US and my heart is glad! I’ve got a joy that the devil can’t steal! I’ve got a smile on my face that the devil can’t wipe away! I’ve got a holy laughter in my spirit that must sound like fingernails on a chalkboard to the devil! And I am just getting started! Because God is just getting started! THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US!

Israel asked God for more:

Psalm 126:4 NKJV

4 Bring back our captivity, O Lord, As the streams in the South.

God had started the work, and they were praying for God to complete it. They knew that God wasn’t done yet. So they prayed, “O Lord,” send blessing and increase “as the streams in the South.”

To the south of Jerusalem was the Negev desert. It was a place that was dry and barren. But every once in a while, the rains would come down and it would create a sudden and powerful flood that was like a raging river.

Their prayer to the Lord was, “send us the rain of your blessings! Send us the rain of your abundance! Send us the overflow and the increase! Send us a river of blessings to saturate the dry places! Send it suddenly Lord, like a sudden flood of waters in the desert! Do a quick work!

We’ve been saying, “I just feel like something good is about to happen! I just feel like something good is on the way!” It is time to seek the Lord for His blessings! It is time to seek the Lord for His abundance! It is time to seek the Lord for His overflow and increase! It is time to seek the Lord for a mighty river of His Holy Spirit to flood our lives...and saturate the dry places…and turn our desert into an oasis! Lord, do a quick work! Let it come suddenly, like the mighty rushing wind that blew on the Day of Pentecost! Let us be able to continue to say, “THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US!”

Look at the promise that is proclaimed next:

Psalm 126:5–6 NKJV

5 Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 6 He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.

There were no doubt many tears that were shed by Israel and the prophets of God during the 70 years of the Babylonian captivity. They were crying out for mercy. They were crying out for deliverance. They were crying out for a breakthrough. They sowed many tears. But God turned their tears of sorrow into tears of joy! Weeping may endure for the night, but joy is coming in the morning!

Hold on child of God! Keep sowing! Some farmers used to soak their seeds in water before they planted them because they believed it would bring them a greater harvest. Every time you pray, you are sowing a seed. Every time you worship the Lord, you are sowing a seed. Every time you give financially to the work of the Lord, you are sowing a seed. Every time you witness to someone, you are sowing a seed. Every time you lift your hands and praise the Lord, you are sowing a seed. Every time you cry out to God for revival, for blessing, and for breakthrough, you are sowing a seed. There may be some times when you’re waiting on the promise, that your eyes may be filled with tears. But let the tears flow. Let your tears soak the seeds you are sowing. God is going to turn your tears of sorrow into tears of joy and you are going to receive a greater harvest! You are going to come again rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves! And in that day you will look back at the struggle during the time of sowing and you will look at the harvest that God has provided and you will be able to say, “THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US!”