Awake, O Lord! Why Do You Sleep?

I found a Psalm that stopped me in my tracks. Because it is honest. I love that we can be honest with God. I learned something in the midst of walking through this Psalm that I wanted to share:

Psalm 44 starts out with the psalmist recounting some of God’s past deliverance and victories that he performed on behalf of the Israelites. By verse 4 the psalmist proclaims who his trust and confidence is in:

(Verses 4-8)
You are my King and my God,
who decrees victories for Jacob.

Through you we push back our enemies;
through your name we trample our foes.

I do not trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;

but you give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.

In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever.

However, in verses 9-16 it is quite clear that this psalmist is going through a tough time. The honesty is striking.

(Verses 9-12)
But now you have rejected and humbled us;
you no longer go out with our armies.

You made us retreat before the enemy,
and our adversaries have plundered us.

You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
and have scattered us among the nations.

You sold your people for a pittance,
gaining nothing from their sale.

He continues on in describing his suffering through verse 16. But what caught my attention were verses 17 and 18. In these verses the psalmist reveals that his suffering happened despite his faith, obedience, and commitment to the Lord. And he doesn’t understand why….

All this happened to us,
though we had not forgotten you
or been false to your covenant.

Our hearts had not turned back;
our feet had not strayed from your path.

Here comes more honesty…

But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals
and covered us over with deep darkness.

Then comes maybe my favorite part, verses 23-26….

Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

Why do you hide your face
and forget our misery and oppression?

We are brought down to the dust;
our bodies cling to the ground.

Rise up and help us;
redeem us because of your unfailing love.

The psalmist obviously feels as though God is sleeping on the job. He notes that he feels as though God has forgotten about his troubles. In these verses my Bible cross-references to the story of Mark 4:35-41. This was when the disciples were on a boat with Jesus when they get caught in a storm. And they start freaking out. Waves are coming over the boat, nearly swamping it. And, Jesus is sleeping . So they wake him up yelling, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

And Jesus’ response is given, and it speaks volumes. He says, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

This gives insight back into the Psalm. The issue is faith. In referring to each of these sections of scripture my application notes say: In both cases (Psalm 44 and Mark 4:35-41) God was ready to help, but he wished first to build faith in his followers.

When God's help seems far off, when your suffering seems undeserved, when you're not sure why God has brought you to a certain place in your life, just remember, you can only see such a small snapshot of the entire picture. Press on in the battle. Stay committed to the Lord. Be ready to face anything for the cause of Christ.