Psalm 44:3: “For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, / Nor did their own arm save them; / But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, / Because You favored them.”

February 19th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

God’s people realized that they did not win possession of the land of Israel by their own human power but rather by the grace of God. Over and over again God supernaturally intervened, giving them victory at moments when it did not seem possible they could survive let alone prevail. God’s people clearly saw that it was the grace-filled hand of God on their lives that brought them protection and final victory. They confessed in the final chapter of Joshua:

For the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. (24:17)

It is often easy, after a victorious battle, to forget just how close we were to failing before God rescued us. There is a strange but true story that illustrates how we can ignore our rescuer. In 1994, a woman visiting from the Bay Area of California, embarked on a solo hike to the summit of El Capitan in Yosemite. When she became lost and saw a storm brewing, she called 911 from her cellular phone and asked to be rescued. A helicopter found her barely off the trail and only 1/4 of a mile from the mountain’s summit. When the helicopter lifted off and the woman saw how close she was to her goal, she demanded that the crew set her back down so she could complete her hike. When the crew declined, she threatened to sue them for kidnapping.

“LORD, we confess that it was by Your grace that You rescued us, and it will be by Your grace that You take us home. Please, also by Your grace, use us this day, in Jesus’ name.”