February 28, 2019
What’s Up With That, God?
Gwen Smith
Today’s Truth
All this has happened to us, but we have not forgotten you or betrayed your covenant. (Psalm 44:17, CSB)
Friend to Friend
Not gonna lie, sometimes life gets really hard. At times our battles are an intense, invisible boxing match, and the enemy seems to not only make contact on every upper cut but also win every round. There are seasons when we feel defeated, wounded, abandoned, vulnerable, frustrated and forgotten. The psalmists felt this way sometimes too.
“You make us a joke among the nations,
a laughingstock among the peoples.
My disgrace is before me all day long,
and shame has covered my face,
because of the taunts of the scorner and reviler,
because of the enemy and avenger.
All this has happened to us,
but we have not forgotten you
or betrayed your covenant.
Our hearts have not turned back;
our steps have not strayed from your path.”
(Psalm 44:14-18, CSB)
The Sons of Korah wrote Psalm 44 from a hard place, to say the least. They’d gone round after round and felt beat up. They wanted to know why God was allowing their enemies to crush them in light of the fact that they were actually faithful and obedient to Him. Essentially shrugging their shoulders to heaven and saying, What’s up with that, God? We’re Your people - fully committed to You - aware of Your power and love, grateful for the ways You’ve knocked our enemies out in the past. C’mon, now! Can we get a little help down here?
Let’s be honest here, sometimes it can feel like God is sleeping. Snoozing off as we scream for help. It can seem like He’s casual about our suffering. As if He’s talking to someone more important at the boxing match, clueless as to the bruises that ache and the bleeding cuts that sting.
But just because it FEELS this way doesn’t make it true.
You know it. I know it. The psalmists knew it.
God is always faithful, always able to step in and stop the swinging and always loving… even if He chooses to allow the fight to go on.
Why though?
Why does He sometimes allow such brutal seasons?
Why does He allow His own children to go through hardship and experience loss?
I don't know for sure, but perhaps to grow our faith and deepen our awareness of how much we truly need Him.
I take heart, confident in this: when life hits hard and knocks me down, I’m better positioned for battle as my knees hit the ground.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father,
I’m grateful for Your unfailing love that stands fixed between me and every attack, wound and blow that comes my way. You know the secrets of my heart and the struggles that hit hard. You are the source of victory I’m desperate for. I’m exhausted from the battle, Lord. Please rise up in my defense, remember and renew me.
I ask this in the Name of Jesus… the Name that has full authority to push back every enemy and trample every foe.
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read Colossians 4:2. What three directives did Paul give to the church?
What are a few ways you could implement these directives today to inform any areas of your heart that are discouraged? Grab your journal and write a prayer response, or tell me on Instagram or on the wall of my blog.
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Originally published Thursday, 28 February 2019.
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