Scripture:
Psalm 44:17 All this has come upon us though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant.
Observation:
Sometimes God will test us. • Sometimes God is quiet. • It’s easy to trust God when things are good. Harder to trust God when times are not going as well as we would like. • Just because things in our life are difficult, we should keep our faith This Psalm is a contrast of two different times in the psalmist’s life and in the nation of Israel. The first part of the Psalm, he speaks of great battles and victories and of other nations being overthrown. He speaks of God helping to protect them from their enemies. He credits all of this to God’s help and protection. But the middle of the Psalm tells a contrasting story. The victories are now defeats. The battles are lost and they are scattered as a nation. Sold into slavery and shamed among other nations. Verse 17 demonstrates that the author has not given up his faith. The nation has still kept their covenant with God and are still faithful and yet they still experience difficulty. The psalmist understands that sometimes God will test them and things in life will not always go their way. He is still wishing that God will act on his behalf but the author knows that God’s love is steadfast.
Application:
It can be a scary time when we think God is silent in our life. Was it something we did? Something we didn’t do? Are we in God’s will? I must remember that God loves me at all times. Life will not always turn out the way I expect it or want it to. God is with me in the good times and the not so good. God is always my protector and my shield. True perseverance does not come during the good times but is built during the difficult times in our life. My relationship with God is not based on the outcomes of my battles but on the fact that He loved me first and His love is steadfast. As the song says, His love never fails. Much like the psalmist, we often think life is not fair. God does not say it will be fair. We know we will experience pain and difficulty on earth. We must trust God and remember that any pain on earth is temporary. God has overcome. Even when we think he is silent in our life and when we think He is not listening or doesn’t care, He loves us. We must keep faithful.
Prayer:
God help us to remember that your ways are not our ways. Your time is not our time. Help us to understand that during periods of difficulty, we must remain true to you. Help us to remain on the straight paths of life and trust in you at all times.
-Paul Palmer