“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,” let Israel now say— “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul.” Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 124: 1-8, NKJV.
Gracious God, we worship You, and thank You for Your loving kindness and tender mercies. We praise You for keeping watch over us, and for protecting us from our enemies. Please help us never to depart from Your protective covering. We ask this in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
” ‘ “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,” let [the whole world] now say . . .” ‘ “ Could we not all say, “if it had not been for the Lord,” “I would not be alive today;” or, “I would have lost my job;” or, “My family would have fallen apart.” Is it not the LORD, who makes the real difference in our lives? Even when we do not believe it, that is the way it is!
We live in a hostile world. A couple of days ago, in our devotional, we made mention of the Adversary using Jesus’ description of him, “the prince of the power of the air[.]” No wonder there exists so much turmoil and pain, confusion and depression, the Adversary is working overtime, because he knows that his time is running out!
Listen to what would have happened to us, “had it not been for the LORD[:]” “they would have swallowed us alive.” The stories of Jonah (see the book of Jonah), and that of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On, and their followers (see Numbers 16), are the only stories in Sacred Scripture, that I know of, where people were actually, swallowed alive! But I have heard of stories, in our day, when some giant snakes, like the Anaconda, have been known to swallow human beings, and even cows, alive; and then kill them by suffocation. Were David and the children of Israel thinking of a snake, when they recited this psalm? Were they thinking of enemies so treacherous, that they saw them as “snakes in the grass,” just waiting to swallow up God’s people? David and the people of Israel, had felt the wrath of many enemies. David had even felt the wrath of his own household, when his son Absalom, rose up against him. He could speak from experience!
Sometimes the circumstances of life can feel just as treacherous as enemies: health challenges, job loss, foreclosures, broken marriages, drug addiction withing the family circle, and the list keeps growing. In fact, these circumstances can work against us, in the same way an enemy would, or worse! Perhaps when David made reference to the elements, “the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul[,]” ‘ ” he could have been thinking of some of the circumstances that he and Israel had been subject to. At these times, it is a good thing to remember, that God is with us, when we are passing through the waters. Therefore, the rivers cannot “overflow” us. (see Isaiah 43: 1-3)! Hallelujah!
Thanks be to God, after David and the people of God had escaped being swallowed alive by their enemies, and overwhelmed by the swelling of the waters, that “would have gone over” their soul, “had it not been for the LORD,” they could go marching, and singing, to God’s sanctuary – “Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
Beloved, “Our God is still the same today . . . He will not fail [us] come what may! Keep looking up, the darkest clouds will roll away. So do not doubt, just keep on looking up” (Author unknown)! Remember, no trap is big enough, or strong enough, to keep the child of God imprisoned, indefinitely! God holds the keys to every besetting circumstance. In His perfect time, He will set His people free!
Indeed, “our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth,” “for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4: 12b)!