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.”

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Psalms 44 KJV

¹ We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. 

² How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

³ For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

⁴ Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.

⁵ Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

⁶ For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

⁷ But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

⁸ In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

⁹ But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.

¹⁰ Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.

¹¹ Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen. 

¹² Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price. 

¹³ Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

¹⁴ Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

¹⁵ My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

¹⁶ For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.

¹⁷ All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.

¹⁸ Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; 

¹⁹ Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

²⁰ If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

²¹ Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

²² Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

²³ Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast usnot off for ever.

²⁴ Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

²⁵ For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

²⁶ Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.