If It Had Not Been the LORD Who Was on Our Side...

 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,"

Let Israel now say—

2 "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,

When men rose up against us,

3 Then they would have swallowed us alive,

When their wrath was kindled against us;

4 Then the waters would have overwhelmed us,

The stream would have gone over our soul;

5 Then the swollen waters

Would have gone over our soul."

6 Blessed be the LORD,

Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

7 Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;

The snare is broken, and we have escaped.

8 Our help is in the name of the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.—Ps 124

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?—1 John 5:4-5

This morning as I contemplated the overwhelming evil and deceit that seems to surround us, my heart became discouraged.  As I opened my Bible I prayed that God would once again fill and steady my shaky heart with His sustaining grace.  Beloved, God is faithful. This morning He did just that with the verses above from the OYB readings. 

I am an overcomer!  As a believer, my union with Christ, allows me to partake in His victory.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.—Romans 8:37-39

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.—2 Corinthians 2:14

God has provided me away of escape from the deceit and lies that surround us.  I do not war against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers set on destroying all that is good and right.  Psalm 124 begins 

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side...

There is a pause...the thought is not completed.  Perhaps we, as believers, are meant to fill in the blank.  If the Lord had not been on my side, I would stand condemned by my sin to suffer eternally in hell. My life here on earth would be spent knowing that dying would bring no relief. It would, in fact, bring greater and more intense suffering. No good news there...only terror.  But God...

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.—Ephesians 2:4-9

Spurgeon reminds us not to look downward in despair, or look to the right hand or to the left to human confidence, or look within in pride, but 

"Unto You lift I up my eyes." —

Beloved, lift up your eyes to Him. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Our defense is of God who saves the upright in our heart. Read the following and be encouraged. Remember all of God’s promises are yes and amen in His Son.  

9 When I cry out to You,

Then my enemies will turn back;

This I know, because God is for me.

10 In God (I will praise His word),

In the LORD (I will praise His word),

11 In God I have put my trust;

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?—Psalm 56:9-11

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked came against me

To eat up my flesh,

My enemies and foes,

They stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident.—Psalm 27:1-3

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

From whence comes my help?

2 My help comes from the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper;

The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.—Psalm 121

1 Unto You I lift up my eyes,

O You who dwell in the heavens.

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,

As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

So our eyes look to the LORD our God,

Until He has mercy on us.

3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us!

For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is exceedingly filled

With the scorn of those who are at ease,

With the contempt of the proud.—Psalm 123

1 Those who trust in the LORD

Are like Mount Zion,

Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

So the LORD surrounds His people

From this time forth and forever.—Psalm 125

1 When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion,

We were like those who dream.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

And our tongue with singing.

Then they said among the nations,

"The LORD has done great things for them."

3 The LORD has done great things for us,

And we are glad.—Psalm 126