Psalm 44:9 Yet you have rejected us and abased us, and have not gone out with our armies. 10 You made us turn back from the foe, and our enemies have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter, and have scattered us among the nations. 12 You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them.

Yesterday we looked at the first verses of this psalm. The writer was giving thanks to God for victory over enemies, recognizing that it wasn’t his great weapons or strategy but the power of God that made the difference. There is, in those first eight verses, the tone of praise and thanksgiving.

How quickly the sentiment changes, huh?

It would appear the time of victory has passed and now they are being routed by the enemy. “You have made us like sheep for slaughter”. So what changed? The psalmist doesn’t give a reason, probably because he doesn’t know. As we will read in the rest of this psalm, the writer cries out to God for relief.

One of the things I like about the bible is that it doesn’t hide the contradictions people experienced at times with God. God was their protector, but protection was sometimes withdrawn. This was usually because the people had grown unfaithful over time, pushing God away, but we are not told that here. All we know from the psalm is that God’s people were in trouble and pleading for relief from the Lord.

It’s bad out there folks, as you all know. But why? What’s with this terrible virus making people sick – or worse – all over the world? If God created the heavens and the earth, which is most certainly the case, why not nip this virus in the bud? We don’t know. And so today we can follow in a very long line of believers throughout history who were in great pain and struggle, who cried out to God for relief.

Heavenly Father your children are struggling. We are anxious and afraid of what the day might bring. Come to the aid of your people in the face of this invisible and deadly organism. Hold tight to us dear God and see us through. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.