Psalm 74:1 “O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? 2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.”
In this present life, there are times when the multitude and severity of our troubles make us wonder, in our natural mind, if our God has “cast us off for ever”! We wonder such things, for we well know that our God has the authority and the power to, in one instant, deliver us from our present trial to a state of joy and peace. In such times our faith is challenged, and we have the opportunity to demonstrate our faithful love to our Lord by not giving in to the weaknesses of the flesh. The Bible provides numerous examples of God’s people facing the stormy trials of life and remaining faithful to the Lord even in the face of death itself. For example: “Daniel” who wouldn’t stop praying (Daniel 6:10); “Hananiah”, “Mishael”, and “Azariah” who wouldn’t bow to the king’s image (Daniel 3:17); and “Stephen” who wouldn’t quit preaching (Acts 7:59). When the Apostles were beaten for preaching the truth concerning Jesus Christ, “they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41). Such sufferings are recorded in the Bible, not to just make it an interesting read, but to exhort us to remain faithful and not fall into despair when the certain tribulations of this present life seem to drag on and on. After mentioning his natural despair, the Psalmist then sets a powerful example for us, when he turns to prayer asking the Lord to “Remember thy congregation”! After this example, let us faithfully not quit praying, not give in to this world’s idols, and not quit proclaiming the precious truth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior; but, become even more urgent in our commitment and faithful service to our Lord!
[See the St. Andrew Primitive Baptist Church website for articles and audio and video recordings at: https://standrewprimitivebaptist.com]