Psalms 44:17

 Psalms 44:17 says, All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.  David said even though the people of Israel were suffering, that they had not dealt falsely with God and His covenant.  This must be our declaration as followers of Christ today, no matter what is happening in our life.  Still, this was not true for all Israelites, nor is it true of all who profess to be followers of Christ today.  Verse eighteen adds, Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;  David said that they remained true in their walk with God, and so must we as Christians.  Verse nineteen states, Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. David once more says that God had broken them.  God is never going to break His people, though He may allow them to be broken, or defeated, by those who do not believe in Him.  Even if this happens, we need to continue to live by faith and to praise God.  Verse twenty declares, If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;  David then said if they had forgotten God's name and reached out to a strange God.  We must make sure that we never do this as Christians.  Verse twenty-one adds, Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.  David asked if they had done this would God not search out this fact, as He knew the secrets of their hearts.  We can be certain that if we have turned away from following God's will in our lives, even if it is only in our thoughts, that God is aware of it.  Verse twenty-two states, Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.  David said that the people of Israel were being killed like sheep before the slaughter for God's sake.  Even if we as Christians are killed today, we must die for the glory of God.  Verse twenty-three declares, Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.  David felt that God must be asleep and asked Him to arise and not cast them off forever.  As followers of Christ, no matter how bad things may be going in our lives today, God is never asleep but is always with us.  God will never cast off or desert those who are His.  Verse twenty-four adds, Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?  David said he thought God was hiding His face from the people of Israel and forgetting them in their oppression.  We may sometimes hear Christians say that it seems like God has forgotten them, but He never will.  Verses twenty-five continues, For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.  David said that they were very oppressed.  If we feel oppressed today as Christians, we need to simply look to God in praise.  Our status in life should never determine whether we believe that God is with us or not.  Verse twenty-six concludes, Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.  David asked God to rise up and redeem them for God's sake.  We must always look to God to redeem us from bad situations in life, and if He does we must give Him the glory.