“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us…Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth…Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 124:2,6,8
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1-2
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” – Romans 8:31-32
When people ask me for directions, I cry a little inside. I am directionally-challenged and GPS-dependent on my best day, with the ability to add travel through countless unnecessary counties to any itinerary, when left to my own navigational skills.
Then there’s my husband, who’s internal GPS is as dependable as the rising sun. Because we travel frequently, people think I know the way. But with Paul behind the wheel, I’m free to enjoy the ride – and I do. I sing with the stereo, read, scroll through my phone, eat snacks, and talk Pauly’s ear off, and by the time we reach our destination, I have no idea how we got from Point A to Point B.
In Psalm 124, we find one of the “Songs of Degrees” (Psalms 120-134), a psalm that was sung by Jewish pilgrims as they walked the road to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. And though this psalm is brief, it is packed with truth that can be summed up in one powerful phrase, “If it had not been the Lord Who was on our side…” I cannot tell you how that line stirs my heart.
These songs were sung over and over, year after year, and the repetition was needed. These were the folks whose generations would easily forget the horrors of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the rising-sun faithfulness of morning manna (Exodus 14, 20:2, Numbers 11:4-9, Deuteronomy 8:3,16, Psalm 78:1-25).
And we’re no better. Spend five minutes watching the news, scrolling through your phone, or letting the wrong people talk your ear off, and you will have no idea how you made it this far. And that brings me to another line that stirs my heart, because, although it may not be from Scripture, it points to practically every promise in God’s Word: “Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home” (Psalm 84:11, Proverbs 3:34, John 1:16-17, II Corinthians 9:8, 12:9, Ephesians 2:8-9, I Timothy 1:14-15).
When I look at the last few months, the last few years, the sum total of my life to date, and the best estimates of my future, those lines can be placed at a million subpoints between Point A and Point B. My life is a winding road dotted with undeserved blessings, unnecessary detours, and narrowly-avoided disasters. And still, there are days when I glide down the road of life, sometimes singing with the stereo, sometimes crying a little inside, and eating snacks (so many snacks). But rain or shine, I’m all too often oblivious to Who is really delivering me from Point A to Point B. I get distracted by the scenery and take the road that should be less traveled, and I take us miles and miles out of our way. And He quietly, patiently, lovingly, steers me back on course. And not only do I not praise Him enough, but I don’t pay enough attention to the lessons that He’s trying to teach me, the truths that He wants to show me, and the itinerary that He has mapped out for my life. But He takes the wheel every time I give it to Him, and I have never once regretted the surrender (Psalm 5:12, 30:5, 27:1, 119:71, Isaiah 41:10, 43:1-2, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 12:5-6, Revelation 3:19).
Today, I’m giving it to you straight, because for one brief, shining moment, I’ve got it straight in my head. I get nothing right. I make nothing happen. I am not enough. I’m not even half of enough. And I’m OK with that, because God’s grace has brought me safe thus far. And if it had not been the Lord Who was on my side, I would have been left for dead on the side of the road a long time ago. He is my Point A, my Point B, and everything in-between. And although I’m going to try to pay more attention to where we’re going and what He wants me to do, I can sing with the stereo, because His grace will lead me to the next Point B. And one glorious day, it will lead me all the way home.
YOUR PRESCRIPTION
Take note of how you got to where you are, and praise God for it. Ask God to make you undeniably aware of His grace, His protection, and His provision in your life. And surrender the rest of the ride to Him.
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