![]() ![]() ![]() This is for emphasis but also because the second time it is spoken as an affirmation. Notice that the phrase “If the Lord had not been on our side” is repeated. “If the Lord had not been on our side, we would have been destroyed.” ![]() And here the “if’s” focus on what might have happened if not for God. The key word in this section is the word “if.” “If” is a tiny little word with big implications. Here the palmist encourages all of Israel to affirm the difference that God makes. ![]() Look at verses 1-5: Psalm 124:1-5 “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.” (Psalm 124:1-5) Affirm the difference God makes in your life. So let’s take a look at the first of these. Affirm the difference God makes in your life (1-5) 2) Praise God for his protection and deliverance in your life. And in teaching us to depend on God, the psalm encourages us to do three things in particular: 1) Affirm the difference God makes in your life. But unlike the movie by the same title, he doesn’t escape because of his own skill or ingenuity but because God intervened to help.Īt its core Psalm 124 teaches you that you can depend on God, and that you must depend on God if you want to make it safely to the other side. You could also call this psalm “The Great Escape,” because the psalmist escapes great danger and almost certain disaster. Psalm 124 imagines what would happen without God, and it is a picture of complete devastation. In some ways it’s almost the exact opposite of John Lennon’s famous song “Imagine.” John Lennon imagined a world without God or heaven and thought it would be a better place. Psalm 124 imagines what would happen if God did not intervene to help. We need him every day, and we need him for all things. It’s easy to point to the times of crisis as times when we are especially dependent on God, but the truth of the matter is, we are all completely dependent on God all the time. If God didn’t catch us, we would surely fall. I told them I was still mid-step, still in the air, waiting and trusting. It was a challenging number of months, and I remember someone congratulating me for taking a step of faith. For me I think back to the year 2009 when I felt led by the Lord to move my family from Massachusetts back to Florida, even though we had no house or job waiting. (Read Psalm 124:1-8 and pray.)Īs we begin the message this morning, I want you to think of a time when you were completely dependent on God, a time where if God didn’t come through for you, you were sunk. This is the second Psalm of Ascent attributed to David so far. Most of the Psalms of Ascent are unattributed, but four of the fifteen songs are attributed to David and one to Solomon. Note: You will notice this psalm is marked as a Psalm of David. The psalm points entirely to God and his help, and there is no stealing the glory for oneself. Psalm 124 describes God’s merciful deliverance. And in some ways Psalm 124 serves as an answer to Psalm 123. Last week we looked at Psalm 123 which was all about looking to the Lord for mercy. INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called “Stepping Stones to God’s Heart.” We are studying the fifteen Psalms of Ascent and learning how to grow closer to God as we seek to meet with him everyday here on earth and eventually in eternity in heaven. “If the Lord had not been on our side …” (Psalm 124:1) The Psalms of Ascent | Stepping Stones to God’s Heart Click here for more messages from the Psalms of Ascent Series.Ĭlick here for more messages from the book of Psalms.Ĭlick here to return to the Sermons page. ![]()
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