I’m sure I’m not being overly dramatic when I say that the hurts of life often leave us feeling as if we’ve been SWALLOWED ALIVE ! The writer of Psalms 124 understood those feelings:
If the Lord had not been on our side--
let Israel say--
if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
the raging waters
would have swept us away.
Do these words touch a place in your heart because you have felt the same way? I’m sure Jonah had such feelings before he was eventually swallowed by a whale. Here’s how he described his feelings of despair in Jonah 2:5:
The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
Now, lets direct our focus on the first verse of Psalm 124. I’m referring to the phrase “If the Lord had not been on our side”. This is a pivotal phrase in this song of healing. Can you imagine how defeating our pain and heart ache would be if the Lord were not on our side? What if God had not rescued you? How much worse would it have been? Dear friend, we have not been given a promise of a problem-free life. There is no promise of calm seas. There is no promise of a perfect life. However, we have been promised deliverance and healing. Consider for a moment what God has rescued you from…
It’s true that the enemy of your soul may have kicked you in the shin, but your Savior prevented you from being completely overthrown. He kept you from being swallowed alive. I’m not referring to salvation, I’m talking about a life delivered from defeat.
The writer of Psalm 124 realized this truth when he said:
Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Let us all remember to thank our Heavenly Father for what He has protected us from.
Journaling Prompts 1. Read Psalm 124. What does it mean to you that God is on your side? Do you truly believe that He is? Why or why not?
2. What would have happened to your life if the Lord had not been on your side? How much worse would it have been?
3. Read John 13:7. How do you feel about these words?
If the Lord had not been on our side--
let Israel say--
if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
the raging waters
would have swept us away.
Do these words touch a place in your heart because you have felt the same way? I’m sure Jonah had such feelings before he was eventually swallowed by a whale. Here’s how he described his feelings of despair in Jonah 2:5:
The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
Now, lets direct our focus on the first verse of Psalm 124. I’m referring to the phrase “If the Lord had not been on our side”. This is a pivotal phrase in this song of healing. Can you imagine how defeating our pain and heart ache would be if the Lord were not on our side? What if God had not rescued you? How much worse would it have been? Dear friend, we have not been given a promise of a problem-free life. There is no promise of calm seas. There is no promise of a perfect life. However, we have been promised deliverance and healing. Consider for a moment what God has rescued you from…
It’s true that the enemy of your soul may have kicked you in the shin, but your Savior prevented you from being completely overthrown. He kept you from being swallowed alive. I’m not referring to salvation, I’m talking about a life delivered from defeat.
The writer of Psalm 124 realized this truth when he said:
Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Let us all remember to thank our Heavenly Father for what He has protected us from.
Journaling Prompts 1. Read Psalm 124. What does it mean to you that God is on your side? Do you truly believe that He is? Why or why not?
2. What would have happened to your life if the Lord had not been on your side? How much worse would it have been?
3. Read John 13:7. How do you feel about these words?