Stand Our Ground

DEVOTION

PSALMS

STAND OUR GROUND

Ps 124

124:1 A song of ascents. Of David.

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.

NIV,

The fifth psalm of ascent for the fifth of fifteen steps up to the temple. “If the Lord had not” is a phrase which seems need not be said, for he is on our side and he said that he would never leave nor forsake us. But the point does ring clear that without God being on our side we would be crushed by all the issues or situations of life. Looking at all the psalmist defined that which came against him it seems overwhelming. Being swallowed by flaring anger, being engulfed in a flood and being swept away by the torrent. Having raging waters knocking him off his feet and sweeping him downstream, not being able to swim against the current, being taken somewhere he did not want to be. We can see this could happen to us, if the Lord was not on our side. But he is on our side and our feet are on solid ground, in fact, being clothed with his armor, which includes having our feet fitted with the preparation for peace, which has to do with the battle sandals of the Roman soldier which had spikes on the soul. This would keep their feet from slipping in muddy or soft ground conditions, so they could stand their ground. This is us, we can stand our ground, even in the face of attack, even in the case of having men’s or Satan’s anger flare up against us. We can stand our ground even in the face of the flood of temptations which can engulf us. We can stand our ground against the torrent of troubles or problems raging toward us. We can stand our ground against the raging people who oppose the gospel and thus us. We can stand our ground against those who would tear us apart with their arguments based on human thought. We can escape all those things just as a bird. I’ll fly away, O glory, I’ll fly away. We can stand our ground because God is our help. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. So as he is our help, his name is our help, we call upon the name of the Lord and then we can stand our ground.