Psalms Challenge Week 6
What if the Lord had not been on our side? Psalm 124:1
Just outside the hospital room window, the city of Philadelphia teemed with life. Skyscrapers jutted up along the skyline as far as my eye could see, vehicles streamed along streets and bridges, and pedestrians buzzed along sidewalks to their next destination. Inside the hospital room, I watched as my mother-in-law’s life dwindled. With each visit the progression of her disease was more noticeable, and my hope, although confidently placed on the Lord, faltered. Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months filled with doctor’s visits, hospital stays, and phone discussions regarding next steps and current circumstances. I shed so many tears considering my life without her I thought they might run dry. My heart was reeling over the enormous hole her loss would leave in the lives of my children, husband, and family. After eight long months of crisis and countless prayers cried out, a miracle happened — we received the call confirming they found an organ donor. A family’s generosity saved her life. Today, nearly three years later, our family is in Disney World — cousins, aunts, uncles, Pop, and Grami, who we almost lost.
What if the Lord had not been on our side? A piece of our hearts would be missing.
My life is full of victories, large and small, that demonstrate God’s hand moving on behalf of myself and those I love. My journal brimming with pages telling the story of relationships, circumstances, and attitudes changed through the power of the Holy Spirit. When I’m feeling overwhelmed, God brings me peace. When I need wisdom, God provides clarity. In moments of doubt and fear, He strengthens my spirit and fills up the broken spaces in my life with His love. God is a soft place to land in hard times. He brings steady confidence in the middle of the storm.
What if the Lord had not been on my side? I cannot even imagine a life apart from Him.
Faithfulness is not a quality revered in our culture. We live in an instant gratification, self-centered, disposable world. Possessions, commitments, and relationships are discarded when they no longer serve us. When things get tough — we get going — moving on to something fresh, new, and more appealing.
I’ve seen this in my own life. Relationships fade away instead of working through the awkwardness of hurt feelings. Friends leave our church over preferences or because leadership didn’t do it their way. It’s easier to move on than find a solution or consider our sinful attitudes and work through them. We have lost sight of the benefits of perseverance and self-sacrifice. We are lacking the character built through faithfulness and humility.
Faithfulness is a decision. It looks like choosing to look past the offense and see the person. It means deciding the relationship is important despite its imperfections and struggles. It values history, time, and long-term connection over perfection. Faithfulness sees the potential through the problems.
Faithfulness reflects our Father, whose love for us is unwavering. No circumstance, attitude, choice, or problem, diminish His love. Whether you walk closely with Him or drift away, His faithfulness is steady. He demonstrated His faithful love for you through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus, so that you can live with Him in heaven for eternity.
I don’t know where you find yourself today, what circumstances you face, or situations life holds. Whether you are walking closely with God, or have wandered astray I hope you’ll take time to consider His faithfulness in your story. Reflecting on God’s faithfulness in the past steadies our hearts for the future.
There is value in rehearsing God’s past faithfulness, not just for yourself, but for those around you. If you are struggling to see God’s faithfulness in your story, pray for Him to open your eyes and heart to see Him clearly. Write a list, share with a friend over coffee or a phone call, tell your children or grandchildren — in some way this week, declare God’s faithfulness in your life. Take the time to answer the question, what if the Lord had not been on my side? Then thank Him for all He has done for you.