Tag: Wail

19.c. “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him”

John 19:31  Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

 Psalms 22:14   I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

 Psalms 34:20    He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

 Zechariah 12:10    “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

 Psalms 22:16-17   For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—  I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me;

 Revelation 1:7  Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

 This was brutal work for rough men. They likely used an iron bar or a heavy club. “To secure speedy death the crucifragium, breaking of the legs with a heavy mallet or bar, was sometimes resorted to: as without such means the crucified might in some cases linger for thirty-six hours.” (Dods) This breaking of the legs must have been terrifying for a man still alive on a cross. 

Imagine the fear of being told you are going to be flogged and the fear while being tied up.  Imagine also the fear of being told you are going to be crucified and then laid on a cross with a burly guy standing at the ready to pound nail spikes through your wrists and feet. Then imagine hanging on the cross and seeing a guy coming up to you carrying a big club to break your legs.  All of this Jesus endured save for the breaking of His legs.  He did this for all who would believe, trust, follow Him.  His death on a cross is a historical fact.

Most modern scholars agree that while this Josephus passage (called the Testimonium Flavianum) includes some later interpolations, it originally consisted of an authentic nucleus with a reference to the execution of Jesus by Pilate. James Dunn states that there is “broad consensus” among scholars regarding the nature of an authentic reference to the crucifixion of Jesus in the Testimonium.

Early in the second century, another reference to the crucifixion of Jesus was made by Tacitus, generally considered one of the greatest Roman historians. Writing in The Annals (c. 116 AD), Tacitus described the persecution of Christians by Nero and stated (Annals 15.44) that Pilate ordered the execution of Jesus. Scholars generally consider the Tacitus reference to the execution of Jesus by Pilate to be genuine, and of historical value as an independent Roman source. And of course, this is recorded in all 4 Gospels by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  

Jesus endured all of this, save for the breaking of His legs.  He did this for all who would believe, trust, follow Him.  He did this for redemption, salvation, forgiveness.  He did this in obedience to the plan and purpose of His Heavenly Father.  He did this out of grace, mercy, and love.  He did this so that those who believe (cling to, rely on, and trust in Him) would have eternal life with Him forever.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.”  By faith we trust. It is not by being good enough or doing good enough things in our life that makes the death of Jesus Christ a payment or substitution for our sin.  It is faith in trust that what He did paid, in full, for our sin(s).  It can’t be earned. It can’t be bought.  Any hope in self must be surrendered. Any and all hope of being good enough must be cast far away from your mind.  Only whey you fully trust, by faith, in Jesus Christ’s redemption will you be set free from guilt, shame, and self-reliance.  

Too often we only think of this during Easter.  This should be on our hearts and minds every waking moment so that we ever remember the price that was paid for our sins out of grace, mercy, and love.

12.o. “Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!”

Zephaniah 1:7  Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near.  The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.

Romans 3:19    Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Psalms 46:10     “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Isaiah 2:12     For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;

Ezekiel 7:7    Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come; the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting on the mountains.

2 Peter 3:10-12    But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.  Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

Isaiah 13:6    Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!

“Stop your mouth at the presence of the Lord God,…. When he comes, and appears in the way of his judgments, do not dispute the point with him, or pretend to offer reasons against his sovereign purpose or in order to argue the justice of them; stand in awe and reverence of him, who is the Lord God omniscient and omnipotent, holy, just, and true; humble yourselves under his mighty hand; be still, and know that he is God, and let not one resentful word come out of your mouth. “for the day of the Lord is at hand; the time of his vengeance on the Jewish nation for their sins, which he had fixed in his mind, and had given notice of by his prophets: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice: his people the Jews, who were to fall a victim to his vengeance, and a sacrifice to his justice, to atone in some measure for the injury done to it by their sins.” (Gill’s Exposition of the entire bible)

I have to admit I have thoughts of what God ought to do to people who are lying, violent, looting, and propagating hate.  These thoughts are rooted in sin and have no place in my heart.  I am not God, nor do I have a drop of water in the ocean of His vast all-knowing understanding, knowledge, wisdom, and power.  Yet I still think in judgmental ways.  It is as if I am saying; (”If I was God, I would….”)  This is where I need to hear and apply “Be Silent”  Be silent, stop the judgmental thoughts, and rejoice in whatever the Lord our God is doing.  I can wait and rest in knowing and believing His ways are just, His plans are true, His steadfast love never changes, and whatever He does is right and holy.

9.d. “The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast”

Joel 1:15  Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes. Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down because the grain has dried up. How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer.

Psalms 37:13     but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.

Isaiah 13:6-9     Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!  Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt.  They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.  Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.

Ezekiel 7:2-12   “And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.  Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations.  And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD.  “Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes.  An end has come; the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes.

Zephaniah 1:14-18    The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.

Revelation 6:17    for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The “Day of the Lord” is in contrast to man’s day or Satan’s day.  His “Day” is coming.  We see glimpses of what He is able to do and what it will be like throughout scripture.  We see some of His judgments executed here in Joel.  The locust, drought, and fire, but the “Day of the Lord” coming will not be like anything ever seen before. This day will begin right after the rapture of the believers.  This day will come like a thief in the night, unexpected.  It will come upon the whole earth and is given a great deal of detail in Revelation.  We see prophets throughout scripture warning of this “Day”.  And yet, people go about living as though it is not coming.  How long has it been since you have heard someone say “that man / woman is a “God Fearing” person?  Doesn’t is seem like that “God Fearing” is gone?  Living in a soft prosperous culture has a way of getting people to take their eyes off God and more on self and what the world has to offer.  The time of salvation is now.  Not tomorrow.  Not next week. Not when convenient.  Nos is the day of salvation but a time is fast approaching when the “the Day of the Lord” will come.  Believers expectantly look for this day for they will be ushered into His presence forever and ever more. When God is not given thought, sin is not given thought, redemption and salvation is not given thought, repentance is not given thought, honoring Jesus Christ is not thought, reliance is not thought, obedience is not thought…… Each day we must deny self and intentionally choose to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, obey, and trust Jesus Christ with all our heart, mind, and soul, and strength.  The “Day of the Lord” is coming soon and with it the rapture of believers and wrath, anger, and judgment on those who have rejected His call to repentance and belief in and through Jesus Christ.

8.g. “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you”

Revelation 18:9   And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! or in a single hour your judgment has come.”

And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!”

Whether this passage describes the decadence of ancient Rome, Jerusalem, some future city or the materialistic culture in which live, when Babylon perishes the economic chaos is complete. Everything the unbeliever has grasped and valued is ground to powder. The words of Jesus echo in our ears: “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21).

Matthew Henry makes a keen observation: “What was the cause of their mourning; not their sin, but their punishment. They did not lament their fall into idolatry, and luxury, and persecution, but their fall into ruin – the loss of their traffic and of their wealth and power. The spirit of antichrist is a worldly spirit, and their sorrow is a mere worldly sorrow; they did not lament for the anger of God, that had now fallen upon them, but for the loss of their outward comfort”

Today, we live in a period of extended grace as we await the Lord’s return. Paul seems to think he will see the day when Christ splits the clouds of heaven and comes back to fulfill all things. So do Peter, James, and the writer of Hebrews. Every generation of Christians since the first century has looked longingly into the heavens and asked, “How long, Lord?” And yet there is a purpose in His delay. Paul writes that “God our Savior … wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). And Peter pens these words: “The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Peter follows that up immediately, however, with a reminder that “the Day of the Lord will come like a thief” (v. 10); in other words, when judgment comes, it will come suddenly.

Eternal consequences

Psalms 112:10  The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!

Isaiah 65:13-14     Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame;  behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit.

Luke 13:28     In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.

Psalms 37:12    The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,

Matthew 22:13     Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Revelation 16:10-11    The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish  and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

Proverbs 10:28    The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Proverbs 11:7     When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.

Luke 16:24-26     And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’  But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

Revelation 20:11  Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

I have heard it said “we don’t get out of this world alive”.  That is true.  What doesn’t get talked about much is the fact that there is consequences for our actions, choices, thoughts, intents.  These are eternal consequences with two totally different outcomes.

Joh 3:16  📝  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Choosing to reject the gift of eternal life through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ is choosing to be unforgiven and your soul found wanting on the day of judgement.  There is no second chance once breath has ceased in this life.  All that is waiting for the person who rejects Christ, is eternal punishment.   We come to Christ for salvation, redemption, joy, peace, strength, hope, refuge, and love, by and through faith (believing, trusting in, relying on, and clinging to) Him alone.

3 He is coming

Psalms 98:9    for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

Psalms 96:10     Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Psalms 96:13     before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Revelation 1:7     Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen

Psalms 67:4     Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.

Acts 17:31     because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Romans 2:5-6    But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.  He will render to each one according to his works:

He is coming.

He has fixed a day.

He will judge.

Every eye will see him.

He comes to judge the earth

God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

He will render to each one according to his works

Some will cry and wail at His coming for they have rejected Him and the light of salvation knowing they have chosen to live in darkness.  Others will be glad and sing for joy for they have heard His calling and have chosen to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey.  Our Holy Creator lives and is coming again to bring His chosen into eternal fellowship with Him.  He also is coming to exert His stored up wrath and anger on those who have rejected Him and His plan for salvation through faith in the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The Lord has done great things

“So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

Psalms 92:4  For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.  How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!  The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this:  that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever;  but you, O LORD, are on high forever.

Isaiah 65:13-14    Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame;  behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit.

2 Corinthians 2:14    But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Psalms 145:6-7    They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.  They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Psalms 104:34    May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.

Psalms 126:3     The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.

Psalms 64:10    Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!

Where do you look for these great and awesome deeds and working of God?  Historically we can look back to the time of the great reformation, Christ, minor Prophets, time of Solomon, David, Joshua, Caleb, Moses, Joseph, Abraham, Issac, Noah, Adam and Eve.  We read of God’s hand through His great power, might, blessings, judgements, provision, defense, love, mercy, and grace.  We read of great flood, seas split in two, rivers stopped, people brought back from the dead, walls of Jericho falling, and much much more.  This is all important and gives us hope, faith, and security.   Shouldn’t it be more than this.  How does it apply today?  How do we see it?  What does it look like so we can recognize it?  For that matter how do we get to a place in our everyday lives that we see it and are able to say and speak of the hand of God?  Staying close to God allows us to see His hand at work all around us.  We can see it in creation if we allow our selves to think about it and marvel at it.  Looking through a microscope or telescope and anything between we can see wonders of God through nature in what He created.  Another place to see His blessings and activity in your life is through he people He has speaking into you life.  I recently was going through a difficult situation and a person out of the blue sent me a pod cast to listen to.  It was what I needed to hear at the time I needed to hear it.  I know in my heart this was from God.  Sometimes we get so busy with issues and cares of this world we loose sight of God and all He has done, is doing and will do.  Dear God open our eyes, ears, heart and mind to see more and more of Your active presence in our lives.  Worthy are You for praise, honor, and glory.

Glorious reunion

Zechariah 14:1  Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst.

Isaiah 2:12    For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;

Ezekiel 30:3    For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

Isaiah 13:6     Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come! Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.  Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.  I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.

Zephaniah 1:7   Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near;

Zephaniah 2:2   before the decree takes effect —before the day passes away like chaff— before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD.  Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.

1 Thessalonians 5:2    For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Malachi 4:5    “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

There is quite a difference between grace and mercy and anger and wrath.  From a human view we can understand just a small portion of what it means to have your grace and mercy rejected. How much more so from God the Creator.  He not only showed His love by reaching out but also in redeeming us through His son Jesus Christ, cancelling all our sin, giving us the Holy Spirit to live in side of us to direct and lead us, giving us precious promises of joy, power, strength, courage, hope, love, peace, happiness, His ever steadfast love and protection, and eternity with Him.  All of these promises come with a qualification – trust in the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul.  Believe in Jesus Christ and repent, turning away from that old self.  There is no wrath, anger, or destruction in your future.  There will be a reunion with your Heavenly Father in eternity.  I imagine at the time we enter eternity we will see His Holiness in it’s fullest and seeing it we will humbly bow saying Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.  Remember the time of choice is this side of eternity.  Choosing to live for self will end in destruction.  Choosing now to believe and live humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying God will not end but will grow into a glorious reunion with God forevermore.

Remember and Rejoice

“ I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,”

Psalms 70:4  May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”

Psalms 5:11    But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

Psalms 35:27    Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”

Psalms 40:16   But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the LORD!”

Psalms 97:12     Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

Isaiah 65:13  Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame;  behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit.

Lamentations 3:25    The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

“You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”

Remembering who God is and the blessings that come from Him alone are the reasons for rejoicing. Those who seek Him will find Him and be blessed.  Their heart will see reasons to rejoice and be glad.  On the other hand those who do not seek Him will not find Him and will not have joy or peace or gladness in their heart.  These are the ones we are to show God’s love.  These are the ones we are to pray for.  These are the ones who we can be used by God to reach.  Remember we too were just like them, lost and without hope.  Rejoice in God and be willingly to be used by Him.