If the Lord had not been on my side… – Psalms 124

I am reminded today of all the times I knew that God had stepped into my life. I remember very clearly several examples where it was so real and so obvious.

One morning I remember being particularly aggravated by the slow drivers sharing the road with me. Keep in mind that I’ve come a long way in my peaceful-factor when driving. My former lifestyle of procrastination combined with late-night-prime-time often led to rage-filled drive times as people didn’t seem to understand or appreciate my need for them to move out of the way so I could try and make up for lost time and minimize my embarassment of another late arrival. On this particular day, I was extra-irritated as it seemed all the world was actually out to make me as late as possible. Nothing was going right – all the red lights all the slow drivers in whatever lane I chose. Then, it happened. Up ahead of me I could barely make out something in the busy intersection that should not be there. Smoke and lots of brake lights in front of me. A terrible accident. As I finally made it to the point I could see the large SUV embedded in the side of one of my former lane-mates it hit me like a 2×4 across the forehead – that could have been me.

Coincidence? Perhaps – but I could almost audibly make out the still small voice as those words sank into my conscience. I believe that day, God had to put all those red lights and blue-haired drivers in my way. That’s kind of arrogant, I know. What about the person that did get hit? That’s a whole different subject. I only know how real it felt – and it changed my thinking completely. I think back often on that morning.

Since then, I’ve experienced the presence of God in my life several times – not all of them bad. I remember one time of extended private worship that got so intense I had to pull the car over to the side of the road. I cried and sang and talked and laughed for nearly an hour. I could almost see Him in my passenger seat with me.

It has been a long time…

That’s why I was so glad to read today’s words in Psalm 124:

1 If the Lord had not been on our side– let Israel say– 2 if the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us, 3 when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive; 4 the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, 5 the raging waters would have swept us away.

6 Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. 7 We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

As Christians, we’re in a battle. If you care to admit it or not, it’s true. Satan roams the earth looking for those he can devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). If it were not for the Lord, I would end up like the ill or distracted gazelle – I would have been taken out. My help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

grace & peace,
e