SING TO JESUS

“(A Psalm of praise.) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” 

Psalms 100

King James Version

Agnes C. Ellingwood wrote a beautiful hymn about Jesus “Keep on Singing”.  “Have you grown discouraged, weary, Amid the cares of life? Do you often grow disheartened And falter in the strife? Jesus knows about the burden, He’ll bear you safely thro’; Then sing a song of gladness, He’ll care for you.”

Jesus knows how it feels to be weary.  He didn’t have a car so He had to walk everywhere He went.  There is no telling how many miles that our Saviour walked spreading His love and healing people and He grew weary and had to rest.  We read in the Bible.  “Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour” (John 4:6).

Jesus also knows how it feels to be discouraged.  When He was here on His mission that His Father gave Him, He didn’t have people encouraging Him like we do.  I believe there were times when Jesus cried because He was ridiculed and didn’t have a lot of people to encourage Him.

We have given men the message that if they cry, it is a sign of weakness.  It is not a sign of weakness.  Someone asked a man “Are you crying?  Men don’t cry, only sissies cry”.  May God forgive us for giving that message to men.  Jesus cried and if He cried, it is okay for men to cry because Jesus was not a sissy.

We read in the Bible.  “Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.  When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,  And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept.  Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!” (John 11:32-36)

It is time that we stop criticizing men for crying and allow them to express their feelings with tears.  It’s so wonder that some men seem to not care because they sometimes yell or don’t talk at all.  Think what would happen if we would hold our husband and sons and grandsons and allow them to cry just as they hold us and allow us to cry when we are hurting and discouraged.

My heart breaks because no one held Jesus and comforted Him when He was hurting and discouraged and lonely and as I am typing this devotion, I have tears in my eyes.  What are we doing to encourage Jesus?  Are you serving Him?  If not, why aren’t you serving Him?  Jesus left His home, His Father and all that He had to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  There is no greater love than the love that Jesus has for us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your beloved Son to die on the cross for our sins.  I pray for every man and every boy.  Please comfort and encourage them and let them know that You love them and that it is okay if they cry.  Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.  I love You with all my heart and I long for the day when I will see You face to face.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

July 24, 2019