If the Lord Had Not Been with Us

“‘If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,’ let Israel now say—‘If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us.’” Ps. 124:1-3. Honor seeking and self-confidence, and trust in our own deeds, are like a deep, black root in our human nature. It is possible to give God the honor and, in almost the same breath, add something to the effect of “me too”—especially when it comes to money, human knowledge, or spiritual gifts. That is why it is so fitting to take note of the heartfelt exhortation that David gives to Israel—to pause and affirm once again that it is, and will always remain, to God’s honor when things succeed for us.

In a letter dated May 27, 1908, Johan O. Smith gives the exhortation: “We must conquer when we have been struck, and we must conquer when we strike . . .” David was an example of this—even when his wives and children were taken captive by the Philistines, he inquired of the Lord before attacking the enemy. 1 Sam. 30:6-8. This humble and lowly attitude toward God, combined with his living faith, made him invincible. It is impossible to have a living faith in victory while at the same time seeking honor from others. Paul says that he had “. . . labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Cor. 15:10. By expressing himself this way, it is clear that Paul was aware that grace was not something to which he had an automatic “right of ownership.” Because of his exceptionally low thoughts about himself, God was able to grant Paul an exceptionally large measure of grace to carry out his work. Grace was with him, and so it was not he himself who had done the work, but the grace that was with him. Without this grace, Paul could not have accomplished what he did, nor could the work have succeeded.

May God preserve us so that we hate, crucify, and judge anything that has a whiff of self-praise, and that we never depart from this important acknowledgment. Then God’s grace will also be abundant over us for the rest of our lives!