They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth
A Song of Ascents.
129:1 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—
let Israel now say—
2 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back;
they made long their furrows.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
he has cut the cords of the wicked.
5 May all who hate Zion
be put to shame and turned backward!
6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
which withers before it grows up,
7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
8 nor do those who pass by say,
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”
It is an amazing thing to think that God’s protection for His people is not arbitrary or based upon emotion or mood. I know that I am guilty of treating others based upon what they do for me or what I feel like at a specific time, but God is so different. His provision for Zion (now the Church) is based upon His righteousness, His unchanging character, not whims or emotions.
For those who do not know Him, through a faith relationship with Jesus Christ, this means that He is not going to bend or change His mind about the coming judgment. He is perfectly righteous and His holiness demands that sin be dealt with. He will not choose in the last minute to change His mind, because of love. Just the opposite, because of love, He will follow through to eternity with exactly what He said He would do, He will avenge the blood or the righteous and put to shame those who have afflicted the church.
For those who do know Him, His provision will continue throughout eternity. Just as judgment will not change, so provision and blessing will not change. What God has promised He will see through to completion. This is liberating, for while we may feel slighted, or struggle in the short term, we know who will prevail in the end.
God does not change, so His provisions and promises do not change. Read the praises of another psalmist, Martin Luther (A Mighty Fortress is our God – 1529, then spend time today thanking Him for the fact that He is trustworthy and capable of never failing:
A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
2. Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.
3. And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.
4. That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.
