Saved from the Flood

Scripture

Psalm 124

    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 our enemies attacked us,
³   then they would have swallowed us up alive,
          when their anger was kindled against us;
⁴   then the flood would have swept us away,
          the torrent would have gone over us;
⁵   then over us would have gone
          the raging waters.

⁶   Blessed be the LORD,
          who has not given us
          as prey to their teeth.
⁷   We have escaped like 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.  (NRSV)

 

Devotion

 Over the past few months, my social media feed has been full of people who have begun climbing out of some dark, deep "holes."  Some have been dealing with illness.  Others with grief, anxiety, or depression.  Still others with huge life events like the loss of a job or the the uprooting of their families.   Most of these folks are have had some moment in which they have thanked God for getting them through those terrible situations.

The writer of Psalm 124 writes from a similar perspective.  The narrator thanks God for saving the Israelites from the enemy nations that surrounded them.  These nations were often much larger and much more well equipped than tiny Israel.  The narrator explains that if it weren't for God's help, their enemies would have swept over them like a vast flood that destroys everything in its path.  But thanks to God, the people have survived everything the other nations have thrown at them.

It makes complete sense for the author of Psalm 124 to sing about God coming to the people's aid in their time of distress.  Indeed, it is always right to give our thanks and praise to God.  But what about the times when despite all our prayers and all our trust in the Almighty, our medical prognosis is still bleak...our savings still run out....our hearts are still so broken that it seems like they will never be mended?  In those times it is normal to wonder why the God who saved others didn't bother to save us.  That confused wondering can easily turn to feelings of betrayal, abandonment, shame, or defiance.  

 I believe that Palm 124 speaks to those moments as well.  Verse 8 states, "Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth."  A similar statement is made in Psalm 121, in which anxious people facing a difficult journey full of unknown challenges are reminded that God will get them through even the worst trials imaginable.  Psalm 124 isn't about life always being perfect or no harm ever coming to us.  It's about God's spirit getting us through those horrible times when it seems like there is no hope to be found.  The psalmist gives thanks that even when the floodwaters rage and the snares trap us and we are about to be swallowed up alive, God is still there to help us... not necessarily in the way we want or expect but always in the ways we ultimately need.  

This truth is one that I need to be reminded of quite a bit.  I kept it in mind as I asked God to help my church and me get through not one, not even two, but three close calls with being exposed to COVID.  I clung to it to as my extended family laid 3 of our loved ones to rest in 2020...and yet indefinitely delayed gathering together to physically comfort each other and celebrate their lives as we usually would.  And just a few days ago, I tried to pass along that same assurance to someone as they begged me to say what kind of life was possibly left now that they lost everything and everyone who mattered to them

Friends, life is hard.  There are and will continue to be times when it seems like all hope is lost.  But the Good News is that even when it seems like our heads are about to go under the raging floodwaters, God is there to get us to shore.  We may not always feel God's presence in the moment, but the day will come when we are able to look back and catch a glimpse of what God did to save us.  And that is when we will give thanks that our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.  That knowledge--that sense of Thanksgiving--can reassure us and restore our faith the next time the waters rage or life's snares entrap us. 

As we close out today, I invite you to think back to a time when it seemed like life was crashing down around you.  If it is safe for you to do so, try to remember what it felt like to be in that horrible place.  With hindsight, how did the Maker of Heaven and Earth help get you through that time... and what reassurance might you pull from it now?  I promise that whatever you are going through, God will be there to save you from the flood.  It may not come until years later (or even the afterlife), but the day will come when you give thanks for God's help and protection.  And who knows?  Perhaps your experience may help reassure someone in their times of difficulty. 

 

Prayer

 Thank you, God, for always being on our side.  When we are assailed by life's difficulties, may we find assurance in the knowledge that our help is in you and that you will save us.  Amen.