I thought I was the only one

Who felt like this...




Psalm 44
1We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
2How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
3For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
4Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.
5Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
9But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.
10Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
11Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
13Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
14Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.
15My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.
17All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
19Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
21Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
24Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

[charlesa6]

Amen Amen!!!

[MADDOG]

Henry Bowman posted:

...22Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
24Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

I respectfully submit that this painful quandry arises from the very notion that any "god" ever wanted anyone to be killed for "god's" sake - all day long or otherwise.

Think about the historical record of religious wars. Don't both sides each think that "god" is on their side? And whichever side 'loses' any particular religiously motivated war will end up being the people who'll ask their "god": "Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?"

An artist named Ron Cobb did a brilliant cartoon years ago, depicting two advancing armies obviously intending to do battle with each other. There was a thought balloon above each army, and each thought balloon said "God is on our side." This is the sad irony. In every religious conflict, the losing side will bemoan their loss to their "god" and ask why "god" did not protect them from defeat.

"When will they ever learn? Oh when will they ever learn?"
- Blowin' in the Wind, sung by Peter, Paul and Mary

Hmmmm. One side always wins.

Your position is "chance?"

Pray tell.

Henry Franklin

[jdogpupil]

The context is entirely lost on M-dog.
The Psalmist is talking about the shame of Israel, a direct result of the Mosaic Law and the Covenant of the Law.

"Which side is God on" is not the appropriate question. The Bible says something entirely different.

"The fool has said in his heart there is no God..."
Psalm 14:1

[jcsmjd]

Ephensians 1:4-5

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we shuld be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Exekiel 18:4

4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Jeremiah 51:48-49

48 Then the heaven and the earth and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon (root babble - that is confusion): for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the Lord.
49 As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth

Mark 13:11

11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Mark 13:13

13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall ensure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Revelation 4:12

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I (this is Jesus speaking) will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name (Author's note : what does a pillar do? Reference to the pillar's mentioned in Jeremiah 52 that were destroyed...this new pillar will stand in God's house for eternity)

Could you be a spoiler that God mentions in Jeremiah 51? Blessed are you for every curse man puts on you because of Jesus. God has a plan, and most are completely blind. When man casts you out take it as a blessing as you are building treasures in Heaven.

Do not be dismayed or give up. For Babylon will rise again, I think in our lifetimes, and perhaps you might be one of God's elect who may be delivered up onto the Antichrist and his Courts. What say ye when you are asked for your credentials? Where did you study? What university did you attend and do you have a doctors degree? By what authority do you claim that I am not the Christ (Antichrist speaking)? Be careful that you understand Mark 13 and that the full armour of God is girded up and placed around you. As maybe, you might be the warrior/spoiler that God Almighty will count on to deliver His message to the World.

In Him, I remain

[charlesa6]

jcsmjd, welcome to the forum.