All a man could do was go on; but I had found that many a problem is settled if a man just keeps a-going.”
–Louis L’Amour (Killoe)
“Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand.”
–Psalm 37:24 (NKJV)
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“The root of all steadfastness is in consecration to God.”
–Alexander MacLaren
Most people want a “good life.” But what is that in reality? No matter how much God wills it, good doesn’t happen in the midst of turmoil and trouble unless the person also wills it; the right attitude must prevail. (Wood) In this psalm of ascent, Psalm 129, the travelers are two-thirds of the way up to Jerusalem. They are realizing that it is not an easy trek and that there are no shortcuts or easy solutions. One writer calls it “long obedience.” That’s life–long obedience, a lifestyle of endurance.
1 — “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,” let Israel now say–
2 — “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 — The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long.”
4 — The LORD is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.
5 — Let all those who hate Zion be put to shame and turned back.
6 — Let them be as the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up,
7 — With which the reaper does not fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves, his arms.
8 — Neither let those who pass by them say, “The blessings of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the name of the LORD!” (NKJV)
When I read this Psalm, I think of the words of the hymn by Esther Kerr Rusthoi:
Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear;
We’re tempted to complain,
To murmur and despair…
It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus;
Life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrows will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.
At times it seems like it is a battle for survival, and, in fact, it is. Endurance, steadfastness, keep plodding onward. Steven Lawson writes, “Resilience marks the determined drive of God’s people to be faithful to God’s calling. An overcoming perseverance causes them to bounce back from defeat. The person who trusts God may be knocked down but never knocked out.” Get up, dust yourself off, and continue the journey. Lawson continues, “Christianity is not the subtraction of all problems but the addition of God’s grace to overcome those problems.”
Look at the agony of the psalmist: “My back is covered with cuts, as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.” (NLT) Don’t despair my friend if that seems to be your cause. Keep your focus on the journey ahead; keep your eyes upon Jesus. There may be real or spiritual lashes upon your back inflicted by the hand of the enemy. Deep welts that cause pain, but…now verse 4: the Lord is on the scene. He cuts the cords, He stops the swinging of the whip, He soothes the wounds that have been inflicted. I recall the words of Paul, “We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, HCSB)
Focus, attitude, and fortitude are required if we are to finish our trek. The road is often hard, the obstacles may be many. There may be foes along the way, the devil may be doing his best to hinder our progress. However, the Lord is with us. We must trust, we must have the attitude that we will make it. As the old missionary Charles Greenaway often said, “We may not look like much when we enter heaven’s gates, but we’re going to make it.” Then all will be worth it all!
“Thou are my hiding place, thou shalt
From trouble keep me free;
Thou with songs of deliverance,
About shalt compass me.”
–Old Scottish Psalter