"Triumph in His Praise"

Our little precious Joel continues to cling to life. The Lord has sustained him now for 12 days since he had the seizure around midnight on January 4. This morning his blood pressure is 72/37 and his heart rate is 114. His blood oxygen level is 88. He has taken his nutrition a little better during the night. His temperature was a little high during the night, but it has started to come down this morning.

This morning Psalm 46 was a blessing. It starts off saying, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters therof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst thereof, she shall not be moved, God shall help her and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved, he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge, Selah. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, he cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge, Selah,"

Another verse that really stood out to me is from Psalm 106. The last two verses of that Psalm say this, "Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord."

Today, by God's grace, we want to "triumph in Thy praise". Our victory is in the praise of the Lord, and not in our own strength. Joel is in the Lord's hands, we are at His mercy to sustain his life and to raise him up. We cast our cares upon Him, for we know that He careth for us.

Yesterday we received an e-mail that had a verse that describes where we are right now as we walk this extremely trying valley. Here is the verse:

Sometimes on the Rock I tremble,
Faint of heart and weak of knee.
But the Steadfast Rock of Ages
Never trembles under me.
~ Author Unknown

We have sometimes trembled on the Rock as we have journeyed with Joel, but praise be, the Rock of Ages has not trembled under us. The Rock of Ages is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. He is the one who 'came to save sinners, of whom I am chief'. He is the one who shed His precious blood on the cross to deliver us from sin. He is the one who died, the 'just for the unjust that he might bring us to God'. He is the One who says in his word, 'Come unto me all ye who labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest'.

He is the Savior, the only Savior, sent by the Father to seek and to save that which is lost. He is the messenger of the covenant, the daysman, who has the power to take us by one hand, and the Lord God by the other and reconcile us to himself. He is the Rock, very God of very God, the one on which we stand, although, we confess, we sometimes tremble.

He is also the one who spoke the word, and the sick were healed, and the dead were raised. Oh Lord, we pray, speak the word again today and raise up little Joel according to your will.

We should hear today on what the next step is with Joel and the hospital. Please pray that the Lord will make a way for us to take Joel home and care for him as the blessing from the Lord that he is.

Again, many thanks to all of you that are lifting us up in prayer.