If not for the Lord

"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; Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul." – Psalm 124.2-5

‘If not for the Lord.’ What thought provoking words these are. It is an easy verse to personalise – ‘if not for the Lord where would I be?’

This was used for Israel here – but we might well ask ourselves the same question, ‘if not for the Lord’ where would I be.

I hate to even think. In 1973 I was on a downhill course. I had moved far from home for the first time and found myself in a party school for a college. Drink was everywhere, including in the basement of my dorm. I had experimented with drink in high school but it was not a major part of my life.

But now, well, things got bad quickly. With drink everywhere I took full advantage. Before long I was losing weekends and once was accused of theft when I could say nothing because I had no memory of the night. I was almost kicked out of this school where rules meant little. I started drinking to get over a hangover.

But then God stepped in. He saved me and turned my life around. Still, I was not done and backslid into that same nonsense again. Again God stepped in and turned me back on the right path. I stopped the drink completely and changed schools to a Christian college. I met Mary and He directed us into Christian service. Eventually that led to the life we have today.

So if not for the Lord where indeed would I be? Who knows? Maybe I would have dealt with the drink and got my act together, people do that. But I do know that when God stepped He saved me, then He accepted me back when I wandered from Him, then He kept me a preserved from the path drink was taking me down.

It is was His work. If not for the Lord who knows where I would be. But I do know I would not have the life I have today. I know that I would not have the wife and family and friends I have today. And if not for the LOrd my eternity would not be secure.

Thank God that don’t have to know where I would be ‘if not for the Lord?’