“Jehovah builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their sorrows.” Psalm 147:2,3 (Read Psalm 147)

Among the reasons to sing praises to Jehovah, our God, is the fact that He builds up Jerusalem, gathers the outcasts of Israel, and heals the broken-hearted, binding up their sorrows.

Jesus came not to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners (Matt. 9:13; Mark 2:17; Lk. 5:32). Thus, Jesus was willing to spend time and associate with sinners to gather the outcasts of Israel, to heal the broken-hearted and bind up their wounds and sorrows.

Of course, Jesus still does the same today. He has graciously gathered us up and saved us from eternal ruin by bringing us to repent of our sinful ways and place our hope and trust in Him and His blood shed for us upon the cross. By taking our place under the law, dying in our stead and then calling us to faith, He redeemed us from the everlasting fires of hell and brought us into the eternal kingdom of the heavenly Father. He builds Jerusalem, His church, and has gathered us up, healing our broken hearts and binding up our sorrows.

We too have the same task today as we carry out Christ’s great commission of making disciples of all the nations (cf. Matt. 28:18-20). We reach out to sinners, lost and condemned because of their disobedience and rebellion against God their Maker. We proclaim God’s law and the judgment of God upon sinners but offer God’s grace and mercy for the sake of Christ Jesus, who suffered and died for the sins of the world and rose again. We call upon all to repent and receive God’s pardon and forgiveness for Jesus’ sake that they too may be gathered into God’s eternal kingdom, the new Jerusalem which He is building.

Our mission in this world could, in fact, be compared to workers in a salvage yard. We reach out to the broken and wounded in heart and soul - to those who have turned from God and His ways and have empty and ruined lives full of guilt and heartache. As salvage workers, we proclaim to them God’s grace and mercy in our Messiah and Savior Jesus. And through the Gospel message, Jesus heals their broken hearts with the good news that God forgives and accepts them as His own dear children for the sake of Jesus’ shed blood. He binds up their wounds and sorrows with the certain hope of life eternal in the new Jerusalem which God is creating. As He has done with each of us, our Lord and Savior salvages them from death and eternal torment and recreates them for the everlasting joys of heaven!

We praise You, O Jesus, Jehovah God in human flesh, for salvaging us from death and destruction and giving us new life in Your everlasting kingdom, all for the sake of Your holy and precious blood shed for us upon the cross. Amen.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture taken from Green's Literal Translation (LITV), Copyright 1993 by Jay P. Green Sr., All rights reserved.]

Community News, Pages 4 on 02/08/2012