What
do you really trust in and depend on? That is a question I constantly ask
myself as I face different circumstances in life.
In
Psalm 44 God reveals to us some things that we must not depend on. God also reveals
who we are to depend on and why.
Psalm
44:1-8
O
God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds You
performed in their days, in the days of old; You with Your own hand drove out
the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set
free; for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their arms save
them, but by Your right hand and Your arm, and the light of your face, for You
delighted in them. You are my king, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob! Through
You we push down our foes; through Your name we trend down those who rise up
against us. For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But You
have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. In God we
have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to Your name forever.
First,
the psalmist reminds God’s people what God had done in the past. God drove the
nations out and planted His people in the land. God afflicted the nations, but
He set His people free.
God
relates to us with grace. God’s people were not perfect, but they were God’s
people, so He drove out and afflicted their enemies and planted His people in
freedom in the land.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing that God blesses us through His
grace, not our deserving it.
Second,
the psalmist also reminds God’s people what did not planted them in the land or
set them free. They did not do it by sword or by their own arm. They did not
drive out their enemies with their military might and they did not cause the
enemies affliction by their human effort.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is learning to not depend on ourselves but to
depend on God and His power and authority.
Thirdly,
the psalmist reveals how God did it.
God
did it by His right hand, by His authority because of who He is, Lord.
God
did it by His right arm, by His power because of who He is, God Almighty.
God
did it by the light of His face, His grace because of who He is, the God of all
grace and mercy.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is, through God’s grace, experiencing the fullness
of God, His power and authority in and through our lives.
Fourth,
the psalmist reveals who God is.
God
is the King.
God
is the only source of our salvation.
God
is the source of victory over our foe, Satan.
God
is our defender and the One who puts those who oppose us to shame.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is believing God about who God says He really
is.
Fifthly,
the psalmist again reminds God’s people it was not by their bow or sword that they
were saved, and so they were not to trust in who they were or what they could
but to trust in who God is and what He can do.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is not trusting ourselves or anything that is earthly
or human based but trusting God with everything in our lives.
And
lastly the psalmist tells us how we are to respond to the truths that God has
revealed.
We
are to boast continually about who God is and what He has done.
We
are to give thanks to God eternally about who God is.
Raise
the Roof and Removing the Walls is boasting about who God is and thanking God
for what He has done.
Our
only hope for ourselves, our families, our nation and the world is God’s grace.
Trusting in God Only
and Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
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