Psalm 124

If the Lord had not been on our side…

I sit here this morning and it is quiet. The cats are on their perch watching. Tails are swishing slowly back and forth. There is almost a rhythm. Little Luna doesn’t have a rhythm, poor thing. There is no eloquence in her long, skinny legs and long body. And yet, she is just so darn cute.

Sometimes it is just good to sit and look out the window. Admire the green. See the ladder my family has left in the middle of the lawn…albeit for good reason, the gutters are now clean…

Ever notice when your movement slows, where does your brain float? That last paragraph can give you an indication of mine. Haha. If I am sitting, it is SO easy for me to grab my phone, text someone, or begin to see all I have to do around me.

Rest does not come easy to me, I think because pain catches up to me. Sitting here now and writing is a discipline I struggle to nail down.

In the quiet, the pain does catch up with me, but also God’s Spirit. Reminding me of time together. A Psalm that has been on my mind this week…

Psalm 124

““If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,” Let Israel now say, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side When men rose up against us, Then they would have [quickly] swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us; Then the waters would have engulfed us, The torrent would have swept over our soul; Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul.” ¶Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us as prey to be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The trap is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭124‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭AMP‬‬

This phrase, If the LORD had not been on our side…repeated 2 x. There are guesses as to what time period this Psalm was written. Some say Hezekiah’s deliverance from Sennacherib or return from Babylonian captivity or Jews saved from Haman’s massacre. My first thought, isn’t that amazing that it could be any of these, but so many more? The LORD is on our side. We see his fingers through our lives. Though at times it is easy to see the ladders and not the beauty of his presence in our lives.

Honestly, we do not have eyes to see all of the times God has saved us. Moved on our behalf. Just ponder that with me for a moment. Movies have been written about chance encounters or quick saves or brilliant grabs. In the real world, we tend to gloss over or forget. Similar to the 10 people Jesus healed and only one came back to give thanks. (Luke 17:11-19)

There is a great mystery at work here. When we stop and give thanks and glory, it actually changes us. We are altered in our thinking and behaving. I begin to look for ways to give thanks…starting with meals. Or cute animals in my life. Or family.

Stop and recall times when you know, if the LORD had not been on your side.

Much love.