If It Had Not Been the Lord

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms

January 30, 2023

If It Had Not Been the Lord

Our help is from the Lord,

    who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 124:8

Psalm 124 is an extension of the prayer of Psalm 123. In the preceding psalm, the prayer asked God to act on behalf of Israel. In Psalm 124, the psalmist responds to God answering Israel’s prayers, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side” we would have been destroyed. “Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey. . . Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth (v. 1, 6, 8 NRSV).

As we seek the life in Christ as our way of life, Psalm 124 reminds us that because “our help is in the name of the Lord,” we “can do everything through Christ, who gives (us) strength” (Philippians 4:13). When it seems we may be overwhelmed, because “our help is in the name of the Lord,” we rejoice in the truth that “the temptations in (our) life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than (we) can stand. When (we) are tempted, he will show (us) a way out so that (we) can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

My Takeaway:

“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side. . . ”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.