⁸Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Disrespect and verbal taunts can escalate to intentional harm. In the ancient world, conflicts were often settled with physical violence. Today, the harm may be emotional distress, financial repercussions, or relational isolation. In the current cultural atmosphere, it may result in a social avalanche against someone, resulting in “canceling” them on social media, boycotting their business, legal proceedings, or loss of employment. The Psalms describe relatable circumstances and how godly people can respond to such situations.

While the previous psalm spoke of people mocking contemptuously and the psalmist asking the Lord for help (Ps. 123:3-4), this psalm gives the answer (Ps. 124:6-8). The inclusion of these psalms in the inspired Word tells us God recognizes that the struggles of life are not easy, and a godly response does not negate the struggle of faith. There are times when the wisdom and the gifts God has given us are not enough to resolve conflict or stand up to wrong doers, when the onslaught overwhelms our abilities. We must cast ourselves on the Lord in faith, entirely depending on Him to enter and resolve the circumstances.

Trusting the Lord like this is humbling yet empowering. Twice we see the psalmist acknowledging, “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side ….” Of course, we should not trivialize faith by calling on God to help us win sporting events. But faith teaches us that some things are only explainable by the presence of God working on our behalf, particularly in the conflicting, distressing times of life when others are causing us extreme hardship (“When men rose up against us,” vs. 2).

The superficial advice to a person in such a situation would be to toughen up, be spiritual, don’t be bothered by what people say or think about you. But the psalm writer is not deterred by that shallow voice. He lays his anguish out in verses 3-5, using strong descriptive phrases: “swallowed alive,” “anger kindled,” “waters engulfed,” “stream swept over,” and “raging waters.” He needs more than just getting a good night’s sleep and some exercise to ward off depressive feelings. He is overwhelmed by his fears. Yet, acknowledging the impact of these threats on his emotional well-being does not negate his faith in the Lord.

What is fascinating about the Psalms is their authenticity and transparency. There is no facade of superficial spirituality that never admits to emotional struggles and fears. And there is no shame in humbly bringing those fears and struggles to the Lord. We need God—and God will help. That is the message of a great many of the psalms, and this psalm is a prime example. What begins with “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side…” concludes with “Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us to be torn by their teeth…” (vs. 6). He continues: “Our soul has escaped,” “The snare is broken,” and “We have escaped” (vss. 6-7).

Finally, we are invited to join the psalm writer in testifying that, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (vs. 8). That is the supreme exercise of faith. We don’t know whether the psalmist has been completely delivered from the threat of his enemies or just that, at this point, he has not folded and given up in despair. The reality is that when God works in one area of our life, we are not immune from further struggles in other areas. Our testimony of faith is not reserved for a few miraculous events where God has worked in supernatural ways to rescue us. Faith is a way of life that keeps us from being overwhelmed by anything the world or voices of opposition throw at us. We can stand firm, knowing that God is on our side; this empowers us, and our struggles only strengthen our faith in the Lord.

Lord, had You not been at my side, I would have given up long ago. I bless You, for I know that no one can stand against me since You are for me.