Psalm 124:1 – If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.

6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth. (NIV)

When I read Psalm 124, several images come to my mind.  Certainly, the psalm conjures up mental pictures of floods and raging waters, but the image that grabs my attention is a picture of a bird escaping a fowler’s snare.  This image is striking because when I read this psalm, I think in terms of my own life.  I think of times when I felt like a bird in a snare, trapped with no help of escape. However, I also think of the times when I knew that it was only by God’s grace and presence that I was able to move through those difficult times.

The psalm begins with an affirmation of faith – if it hadn’t been for the Lord, we never would have made it.  I think it’s good for us all to sit back for a moment and make this same affirmation of faith.

When I think in terms of God’s larger picture, there is another image that comes to my mind.  I know that the power of sin is the greatest evil I will ever face.  We are all sinners, and the power of sin separates us from God.  When I read this psalm, I see sin as the great snare that is written about in verse seven.  Left on our own, we are defenseless against this great snare.  Thanks be to God for Jesus our Christ!  Without Jesus, we would never make it.  The snare has been broken, and we have escaped!  This is Good News, and that’s Good Stuff!

Posted by Ramón Torres