If the Lord had not been on our side—let Israel say—if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. - Psalm 124:1-8
When watching a basketball or football game, it is often sad and even painful to watch the video of the losing team. It is so painful that I would often change the channel rather than watching their misery. Watching the winning team and their success is easier. It's why I also like happy endings in movies, I guess. In most games, there's probably someone praying to win. So does it mean that God is with the one who prays the hardest?
What does it mean if God is on your side? Does it mean that God is not on their side at the same time? If God wants the best for me, does it mean that God doesn't want the best for those who are attacking me.
If I swap the roles, if they are the attacked and you are the angry, does that put God on their side? What if the best for me is for me to lose; to fail; to wallow; to stumble; to let someone else feel encouraged in their victory over me? What if God's purpose is not about me, but about us?
These psalms does not promise a lack of conflict. Instead they encourage us to remember God is with us in the conflict. We are not alone. So how would God act in my place, with my circumstances? We will make it to the final episode.
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