Tuesday March 05
“I Will Praise You…”
Psalm 138:1-8 A Psalm of David
1 I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.
6 Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.
8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Our team is having a wonderful time ministering to the refugees here in Amman Jordan. Yesterday we divided into two teams and visited their homes where we had the opportunity to listen to their stories and connect with them. Of course, we drank a lot of tea and coffee in each home, ate a lot of snacks and in one home we were served a full Iraqi delicious meal.
Most of them have been here at least 6 years waiting for a visa to go to another country. They are not able to work here and are totally dependent upon outside resources to survive. In our first home visit, the parents had three teenage daughters and the reason they left Iraqi was because the girls were not safe there. We heard that story many times. In this particular apartment there was only one bedroom, and the living conditions were very poor. I noticed in the very small bedroom that 5 thin mattresses were stacked up on each other with a pile of blankets nearby. I’m guessing that they simply spread out the mattresses out and cover up. The apartment was very cold. But the parents were still very joyful and thankful that they were alive and professed that they were followers of Jesus!
In the home where we were fed the awesome meal, we heard the story of how they had to flee from Isis. They left behind a beautiful home and a very successful business they had built up over 40 years. They grabbed their documents, jumped into one of their cars in the middle of the night with their three children and fled for their lives. They lost everything but their lives. This couple has been here as refugees for 8 years and are still waiting for a visa to another country. Yet they never quit smiling and being great host as they testified to God’s love and grace during this time. Our hearts were truly touched!
In our last home visit very late in the evening we experienced another large Iraqi family that also has been here for over 6 years having fled from Bagdad because it was unsafe for their daughters and ladies in the family. Through the ministry here they had also become believers and were rejoicing in the Lord. The dad shared how he now has read through the Bible 6 times since he has plenty of time! They openly witness to anyone who visits with them, and they shared the story with us of how the LORD answered their prayer with a miracle of healing a grandson who was declared to be blind and would never see. The wife kept saying that all she prayed for was that the LORD would show them His glory! We thought we had gone by to bless and encourage them, but we were the ones who were blessed.
Thank you so much for your prayers! I’m afraid we take a lot for granted in America and in our comfortable lives there!
I will be starting to look at Psalm 138 in our Pastor’s Chat video today! I trust you will get a chance to view it and you will join David in his praise to the LORD for answered prayer!
God bless!