Psalm 44:9-26

9 But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor. You no longer lead our armies to battle.
10 You make us retreat from our enemies and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.
11 You have butchered us like sheep and scattered us among the nations.
12 You sold your precious people for a pittance, making nothing on the sale.
13 You let our neighbors mock us. We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us.
14 You have made us the butt of their jokes; they shake their heads at us in scorn.
15 We can’t escape the constant humiliation; shame is written across our faces.
16 All we hear are the taunts of our mockers. All we see are our vengeful enemies.
17 All this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant.
18 Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path.
19 Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s desert home. You have covered us with darkness and death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods,
21 God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart.
22 But for your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.
23 Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever.
24 Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?
25 We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt.
26 Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love.

Today we find out why it is so important to look back and recall the mighty acts of God.

Because...today our author needs the reminder. It's a bad day.

And, if he didn't keep his perspective, David could be tempted to believe God had abandoned His people. In fact, that's exactly how David feels...
1. You have tossed us aside in dishonor.
2. You no longer lead our armies to battle.3. You make us retreat from our enemies.
4. You allow those who hate us to plunder our land.5. You have butchered us like sheep and scattered us among the nations.6. You sold your precious people for a pittance, making nothing on the sale.7. You let our neighbors mock us.
He feels abandoned, but...he doesn't "believe" it.

Think about this for a moment. Had our Psalmist not looked back at the context of history and seen the faithful and powerful hand of God, he would have no way of interpreting his current affairs. Even though the circumstances are abhorrent our writer knows exactly where to go for relief. This actually seems like a good thing. People with no sense of faith are far less fortunate. They turn to drugs, alcohol, sex, work...anything they can think of to anesthetize themselves from reality.

But, or course, none of those things ever work.

So, for today's author, the ups and downs of life seem to be fully explained as simple facts of a life lived before God. Pleasure is no more an aberration than pain. Both can be fully understood in the context of God's sovereignty. Because he sees life this way the Psalmist is able to get pretty assertive with God. He comes very close to telling God He is wrong for allowing these circumstances. He tells God "all this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant. Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path. Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s desert home".

This "Son of Korah" was testy because he understood God's character...

For the life of me I can't figure out why God would be so harsh with Israel if they were honestly this faithful. But that isn't David's concern. He doesn't have to ask "why". You see...if the author is willing to take the "good" without questioning God's love, he really has no choice but to accept the "bad" with the same degree of faith.

Can you remember a time when God so faithfully answered a prayer for you? Did you take the blessing and cherish it...or did you say "Oh, Lord! why did you do this for me...I am unworthy!" Of course not. The point of prayer is to access the miraculous power of God.

So today, when you can't see God anywhere, when your life is falling apart...don't ask "why". Be like our Psalmist and challenge God. "Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love."

As a matter of fact, God will.

Live boldly out there today...