Psalm
43 reminds me that prayer
and action
must always go together. The times when the nation of Israel got
into trouble was when they either acted without first seeking God’s
direction, or when they were given God’s direction, yet did not
act. It begins, “Vindicate
me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me
from deceitful and wicked men“.
The psalmist is “oppressed
by the enemy”
asks for God’s “light
and Your truth, let them guide me“.
And he concludes, “Then
will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will
praise You with the harp“.
I have no musical ability. Playing the Harp is not something I can
do to praise God or minister to others. That does not mean I am to
sit on the sidelines. Each of us are called to impact the world
right where we live. We are called to be Salt and Light to the world
around us. That is, to bring the light of God’s truth and to be an
example of the tasty delight that God desires each of us to become.
Matthew 5:13 also says, “But
if the salt loses its saltiness… It is no longer good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled by men“.
Are you putting action behind your faith?
Psalm
44 seems to reveal the result of inactivity by people of faith.
Whenever people have to go back decades or generations to find
examples of trusting God, there is a problem. The psalm begins, “our
fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago“.
God does not take vacations. If God is not working in your life, in
your home, in your church, in your actions, it is NOT because He is
unwilling. The psalm continues, “You
drove out the nations and planted our fathers; You crushed the
peoples and made our fathers flourish… It was not by their sword
that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was
Your right hand“.
God was willing to give the Promised Land to the people under Moses,
but they were unwilling to enter the land. Deuteronomy 1:26
explains, “It
is
a good land which the Lord our God is giving us.
Nevertheless
you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord
your God“.
Unwillingness to act can be a bigger act of rebellion then willful
disobedience. Listen to how people describe the result, “But
now
You
have rejected and humbled us… and
our
adversaries have plundered us“.
If this describes your situation, perhaps it is you that have failed
to take that step of faith?
When
a person of faith continues to put no action into their walk, they
are reduced to simply using religious words. Sadly, everyone around
them can spot their inconsistency, “You
have made us a reproach to our neighbors… the peoples shake their
heads at us“.
Interestingly this action-less hero might still be following their
religious chore list, “we
had not forgotten You or been false to Your covenant“.
But this is the person of whom James 2:14 says, “Faith
by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead“.
The psalm ends with call to God to “Awake,
O Lord! Why do you sleep?
Rouse
yourself! Do not reject us forever“.
God does not sleep. I drove a dump truck when I was a kid and I
learned that while sitting still it was almost impossible to turn the
steering wheel. Once it was in motion the steering was much easier.
Maybe we need to get up and get moving? Remember the scenario when
the giant Goliath faced off with the army of Israel. He cursed them
and the God of Israel, but no one did anything out of fear. It was
David the shepherd boy that stood up to this enemy. David’s faith
took action and the entire army soon followed. He faced the giant
and said, “This
day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and
cut off your head… All those gathered here will know… the battle
is the Lord’s, and He will give all of you into our hands”
(1 Samuel 17:46). His words were followed by action, “David
ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him“.
Maybe today you will take that step of faith you have been to scared
to take? The battle is the Lords!