Suffering With Joy

Praying the Psalms – Psalm 44

November 13, 2010

King David Playing the Zither, Andrea Celesti (1637-1712 Venice), oil on canvas, private collection

Welcome to Praying the Psalms, a meme hosted by Jenny at Just a Minute, and add your reflections on these hymns of praise and pleading.

Verses from today’s psalm make me think immediately of our fellow Christians in Iraq, Pakistan, and India who might readily claim them as their own as they suffer the violence of Islam.

vs. 20-26  If we had forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange  god, would not God discover this?  For He knows the secrets of the heart. Nay, for Thy sake we are slain all the day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rouse Thyself!  Why sleepest Thou, O Lord?  Awake! Do not cast us off forever!  Why dost Thou hide Thy face?  Why dost Thou forget our affliction and oppression?  For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body cleaves to the ground. Rise up, come to our help!  Deliver us for the sake of Thy steadfast love!

[What more can we pray on behalf of our brethren suffering at the hands of those who seek the death and destruction of Christianity?  We who enjoy a modicum of security now many be in their place tomorrow.

O Lord, You know the secrets of our hearts.  You know the desire of Your faithful people to live safely under the shadow of Your wings.  For Your sake they were slain.

Give us the strength to be faithful witnesses of Your love and kindness, and to bear wrongs patiently.  Console the families of the fallen.  Have mercy on the afflicted and oppressed.

Deliver our brethren from the violence of false religions and scheming, rapacious individuals full of hate. Let not the Evil One prevail, but let all nations rise up to praise You forever and ever.]

To the King of the ages, Who is immortal, invisible, the one only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen! (1 Tim. 1:17)

Tags: suffering

5 Comments to Praying the Psalms – Psalm 44

1. 

   Barb,

   I love how the Lord used this psalm to remind you (and now me) to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world!
Natalie on November 14th, 2010
2. 

   A hearty “Amen!” to what you said here. May the Lord receive the souls of the Iraqi martyrs into his heavenly kingdom–and may He have mercy on their killers and bring them to repentance.

   Evan
Evan on November 14th, 2010
3. 

   Evan, it is so hard for me to pray for the Muslims, but I do it anyway, and have done so since 9-11. I cannot imagine living with that level of hate day in and day out. Perhaps the present day martyrs are obtaining Muslim conversion with their own blood. I can’t help feeling a great dread that we in this country are not far from their experience, and if it comes to that I pray that I will measure up.
barb on November 14th, 2010
4. 

   Yes, we must hold our fellow Christians up in prayer and follow their example.
barb on November 14th, 2010
5. 

   I pray that such things don’t come here, but you never know. Islam is certainly not our friend (either to Christianity or to our country–and yes, I know the PC crowd would have my head for saying such a thing!), but Christ died for them too. And I hate Islam for demoting Christ from God and Savior to a mere prophet. May the Lord send revival to those lands and bring Muslims to salvation.
Evan on November 14th, 2010