In verses 1-8, the psalmist recollects the glorious past of the nation. The nation of Israel experienced glorious victories not because its ancestors had strong military power but because God fought for them (3b). When he and his countrymen remember their glorious past, they do not boast in themselves but in God.
And yet at present, things are quite different as we see in verses 9-16. We can’t be certain exactly what is happening in the nation. The nation’s armies were defeated, and their adversaries had plundered them. They were devoured like sheep and scattered among foreign nations. They were objects of reproach, scorn, and derision.
The psalmist does not understand why all these disastrous things have been happening. He can’t say that God is punishing them. There is no clear evidence the people are sinning more than the times when God was giving them victories. He does not understand why these disastrous things are happening. But he is resolved not to lose his faith in God. He knows God does not owe him an explanation. Like Job’s faith, it glorifies God not to lose faith in him even when things are seemingly bad.
Jul 3, 2026
YET FOR YOUR SAKE
Passage: bible.psalm 44:1-26
Key verse: 22
NIV
chapter 44
1. [For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.] We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.
2. With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors; you crushed the peoples and made our ancestors flourish.
3. It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.
4. You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob.
5. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.
6. I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;
7. but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
8. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.
9. But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.
10. You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.
11. You gave us up to be devoured like sheep and have scattered us among the nations.
12. You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.
13. You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us.
14. You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.
15. I live in disgrace all day long, and my face is covered with shame
16. at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me, because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
17. All this came upon us, though we had not forgotten you; we had not been false to your covenant.
18. Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path.
19. But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals; you covered us over with deep darkness.
20. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21. would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?
22. Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23. Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
24. Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?
25. We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground.
26. Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Prayer: Father, help me not to lose my trust in you no matter how things look outwardly. Amen.
One Word: Trust in God