Songs of Ascent - Help (Psalm 124)

Ever had people look at you or make comments that indicate that you, as a Christian, are some sort of naive, weak willed, inexperienced person.

Psalm 124

...life has tremendous threats, difficulties, struggles and darkness. Yet God is our help!

Some people think that Christians are people who look at the world through ‘Rose Coloured Glasses’ and put their trust in some mystical unknowable God. I have had that experience.

Even in church life, sometimes Christians feel the need to put on a mask of confidence, strength and victory, because they feel there is no room for failure, struggle and doubt.

Yet our song as we travel through the Songs of Ascent doesn’t sugar-coat life, nor gives any indication of naivety. Rather there is truth of experience—life has tremendous threats, difficulties, struggles and darkness. Yet God is our help! It is a declaration of truth that we know as followers of God.

Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird. (Psalm 124:6-7a)

Darkness will seek to devour us, difficulties will flood over us, yet there is help. The question in our minds moves from “Why me? Why this burden?” to the hope in God who is there with us in the pain—we can sing together with confidence in God’s strong name.

At Hazel’s memorial service last week, we sang together truth of Christ with us, of salvation and eternity in his care. Hope arose in our voices as we declared His promises. As Christians we are more aware of darkness, floods of pain and hopelessness. We see the world through Christ’s eyes of love and know the brokenness of sin in our own life and in our world. We experience this brokenness and evil with Christ’s love, compassion, justice, advocacy, mercy and patience, because we have experienced Christ’s love and forgiveness personally.

So, we sing together this psalm. We encourage others to join us.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth (v8).

Cry out and hold to His help today.

God Bless

Pastor Stephen