Psalm 44

Daily Devotional from Psalm 44–

Verse 23
“Awake Lord! Why do you sleep?”

Psalm 44 is a lament. It’s a song born out of crises. At one point during the psalm, the writer asserts that they had not forgotten God or broken his covenant, and he wants to know why God would allow the current calamities. He wonders, “Why now, when we are at our greatest need, is he quiet? Haven’t we been good?” even going so far as to accuse God of sleeping on the job.

This psalm shows us that we don’t have to hide our pain or confusion. We can boldly cry out “Awake, Lord!” Through this psalm, God invites honest, unfiltered prayer. He validates our grief and confusion at times of hardship.
I love the way the psalmist ends the psalm, not by blaming or demanding, but by appealing to God’s mercy: “Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.” (v.26)

This is a reminder that my ultimate hope rests on God’s character rather than my performance. And this is true whether I feel His presence right now or not – whether I understand what He’s doing right now or not. 

Thank you, Mighty God, for loving me. I trust you to get me through this difficult time.

Chris Ford