![]() If this song is Davidic, the monster, flood or snare was the Philistine people - they wanted to push Israel into the Mediterranean. The floodwaters weren't for Israel, but Egypt. God heard the Egyptian whips cracking on the Hebrews backs, so He sent plagues and Moses and the Red Sea upon Egypt. If this song is from the exodus, the monster, flood or snare was Egypt. The song begins with "if." It is a hypothetical song - "Let's imagine what would've happened if God hadn't been on our side." But this hypothetical reveals a truth: God was on their side. "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 people rose up against us," (Psalm 124:1–2). Only God can take the monster and the flood and the snare and use them for something beautiful. The worst thing humanity has ever done (kill God) resulted in the best thing God has ever done (save humanity). Using bad for good is seen in the centerpiece of our faith, the cross of Christ. Monsters aren't all bad, because God uses them for His ultimate glory and pleasure. Joseph had his pit and his prison, but it led to the preservation of his entire family and the development of a nation. Naomi had death and loss, but Ruth and the blessings attached to Ruth resulted from that death and loss. The church had persecution, and the spread of the gospel resulted from the pain of that persecution. David had Saul, and glorious songs resulted from the pain Saul brought. The pilgrim begins to understand God works all things together for the good of His people (Romans 8:28). So many things I thought would be incredible have been a disaster, but so many things I've thought would be a disaster have been incredible. I only know many of my prayer requests would've been a disaster, and much of what I've tried to avoid has been God's great instrument of grace in my life. Do I pray for financial blessing for a nation, or would poverty spark revival? Do I pray for healing from cancer, or will the disease preserve holiness and the patient's soul? Do I pray for contentment, or should I have displeasure with the way things are? Since I cannot see the end from the beginning, I often don't know how to pray. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26). He wrote, "The Spirit helps in our weakness. In a way, Paul sang this song to the Roman church. These pilgrims had walked into the attack with a grim face, but left it with a grin, because God had been on their side. This is a song which says, "We got swallowed by the monster, we were in the teeth of the beast, but God was beautiful to us in there." This is a song which declares the love of God amid attack and pain. This song is a pilgrim song, one in which God is celebrated for faithfully aiding His people. ![]() But God rescued them from every calamity, and they remembered His rescues by singing about Him. ![]() The people who sing it had been attacked by a monster, threatened by a flood, and trapped by a fowler. If you have ever seen a child walk off a roller coaster with a huge grin on their face, especially if they stepped onto it with a grim one, then you know what this next psalm is all about. Then I understood the term "thrill ride." Endorphins released and great gladness came upon me. And in the process, I found a new level of exhilaration. I could see the headlines.īut, to my surprise, I lived. I was sure I'd become the first to fall out of the coaster and die. After an eternity, the moment came, we buckled in and - I couldn't stop it - our journey began. Those two loops loomed, and I couldn't hear a thing but my own thoughts. ![]() It was my first loop-d-loop roller coaster. Remember All Your Previous Rescues (Psalm 124) ![]()
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