Photo Credit: Butkovicdub
Scripture Reference: Psalm 44:9-26
The sons of Korah give a strikingly honest account of the present situation. Times were tough and they make no attempt to sugarcoat the realities they face, nor are they trying to sound super-spiritual as they tell God about their concerns.
At the moment, they say, it looks like God is not pleased with them. They are defeated. They do not taste victory. They are victimized, confused and scorned.
But, they will not forget their God, even though it appears their God has forgotten them. They will remain faithful to their God regardless of whether they are persecuted for their faithfulness to Him.
This is true faith: that we cling to God not only in the good times when everything is going our way, but that we remain faithful to Him even when the whole world is mocking us for our beliefs; even when it appears God has rejected us.
This proves that genuine faith can co-exist with great suffering. We have only to think of Abraham, David, Job, Paul and above all Christ, to be convinced of this possibility. In fact, genuine faith can be stimulated by great suffering and genuine faith allows us also to bear great suffering.
As they cry out for help, they appeal to God’s mercy and not their own goodness. This is more evidence of faith. No one will ask for help from someone if they didn’t believe that person is capable of helping them. The prayer is in itself an expression of their faith in God. Furthermore, they prove their faith in God’s good and merciful character by appealing to God’s mercy in their time if need.
As they pray, they reflect on past events which displayed God’s goodness. Reflecting on God’s actions in the past, casts light on His actions in the present and gives us good expectations about His actions in the future.
From these reflections we shall see that God has never forsaken His people. And since He is the same yesterday, today and forever, we can be assured that He will not forsake us in our distress either. These reflections build our faith in God as our Provider.
Finally, if God is the Provider of our needs in this temporary life, He will certainly provide all that we need for eternal life. Paul quotes from this psalm in order to prove to believers that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Because of God’s love and His great faithfulness, we are, instead of being driven away from Him through hardships, drawn closer to Him and become more than conquerors in all these things.
“Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” Psalm 44:22
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39
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