"Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth" (Ps. 124:8).
Many of the psalms we have studied contain petitions to the Lord for deliverance and relief from enemies. Psalm 124 looks back on a time when God delivered His people. In response the people are called to lift up praises to Him for His protective providence.
How many times has God delivered you from a difficult or even dangerous situation? What has been your response to Him? Too often believers are more aware of their need for help from God than they are mindful of their need to praise Him afterward. By this psalm we are reminded of our duty to remember God’s providential care and to praise Him immediately and appropriately. The writer repeats the phrase, “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side.”
Calvin explains, “So long as we are in danger our fear is immoderate; but no sooner are we delivered than we lessen the greatness of our calamity, and Satan, deceiving us by this artifice, leads us to obscure the grace of God. Since then, after having been wonderfully preserved by the Lord, we for the most part devise all sorts of imaginary circumstances, in order to efface from our minds the remembrance of His grace. David, by introducing the people as struck with amazement, purposely dwells upon the amplification of the danger. In these words a bridle is put upon us, to keep us meditating upon our dangers, lest the sense of God’s grace should vanish from our minds.”
Do not easily forget the eternal punishment God has saved you from or the darkness He has dispelled from your soul. Many in the church believe hell should not be preached, for once you are saved you need not think on it any longer. But by calling to remembrance that black pit from which God saved you, you not only become more fervent in drawing others away from the fire but you are filled with greater appreciation of God’s delivering you from it.
Do not forget the temptations, trials, and afflictions He has delivered you from. Perhaps you remember how He mended your broken marriage. Or you may remember the empty, hopeless life you once led, the disease that threatened your life, the accident that could have ended in tragedy. Whatever the circumstance, remember God’s glorious grace and give Him the praise He is due.
Think of a difficult period in your life from which God delivered you. Think about how much grace God showed you by helping you out of that situation. Have you ever really praised Him for that time? If not, spend some time today praising and thanking God for His glorious grace. Remember, in the future, to thank Him for His help.
