Never Alone

Conquered. Defeated. Afflicted. But never alone. Psalm 79 was birthed from the rubble of Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed, the city was in ruin, and the people were dying. The people had lived in such persistent sin, that God had to remove His hand of protection in order to bring them back to Him. They had to feel the weight of their rebellion before they could understand their true need for the Lord. But even though His presence was no longer “felt”, His promise remained. Silence is not absence, God doesn’t leave or forsake His people.

I think the beauty of this psalm lies in the humble voice of Asaph as he addressed the Lord. He acknowledged that everything the people lost belonged to God first. The Israelites knew they deserved the desolation they were living in, but they also knew their God. He is just, yes, but He is also merciful and gracious and loving and kind. In their pain, they knew they could still cry out for the mercy of the Lord. In their grief, they knew they could ask for justice for the sins and depravity of the other nations.

Here’s the thing, sometimes when we make mistakes and we face the consequences of those actions, it can feel like we’re alone, like God has left us, but He hasn’t. Even in our lowest seasons, we can still call out to the Lord. We can ask for forgiveness, for deliverance, for restoration. And our God provides. For the Israelites, God answered with the destruction of Babylon, but not for years. God’s timing rarely matches our urgency, but it always has a purpose.

So no matter what season you’re in, God hears you. In your pain, He hears. In your doubt, He hears. In your suffering, in your joy, in your anger, in your grief, He hears it all!