Psalms 44:9

Psalms 44:9 says, But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.  David said God was no longer with them, that He had cast them off and no longer went with them against their enemies.  In reality, the people of Israel had cast God off.  As followers of Christ, God will never desert us, and if we feel He is no longer with us, we need to examine our own life to see if we have fallen away from Him.  Verse ten adds,Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.  David said God caused them to fall back to their enemies, but it was their lack of faith in and disobedience to God that led to their defeat.  God did not just abandon them for no reason, nor will He ever abandon us for no reason.  Verse eleven continues, Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.  David said God had left them at the mercy of the heathen.  At least David acknowledged God as the source of their success, but he did not put the blame for their defeat on their lack of faithfulness.  We must acknowledge God as the source of our strength as Christians, but we must never blame Him if we are overcome by the wicked of the world.  As long as we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, God has already given us an everlasting victory.  Verse twelve states, Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.  David seems to imply that God gave His people up for nothing and somehow made Himself more wealthy by doing so.  Since everything already belongs to God, this is a foolish idea.  God will never have to abandon His people for His own benefit, nor will He do so.  Verse thirteen adds, Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.  Though the people of Israel may have become a reproach and a source of derision to those around them, it was their own sins that had caused this.  They had turned away from God.  If we feel that we have become a source of scorn to the people around us today as Christians, we need to examine our relationship with God.  We know that God will never abandon us, so we must simply remain faithful to Him, no matter what.  Verse fourteen says, Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.  David was still seems to be putting the blame for the failure of Israel on God, instead of on their disobedience to God.  If life is going badly for us today as followers of Christ, we cannot begin to question or blame God.  We need to continue to praise God for our salvation, and continue to put our faith in Him.  We also need to examine our life and see if we have allowed sin back in.  Verse fifteen adds, My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,  David said he was continually confused and shame had covered his face.  We do not need to be confused about God's love and protection of Christians today, no matter what is happening in the world.  As long as we remain faithful to God,  there will never be a reason for us to feel like we are covered with shame.  Verse sixteen continues, For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.  David said that his confusion came because his enemies seemed to be victorious, even though they spoke blasphemy against God.  Even if those who deny God or attempt too attribute His work to something else may seem to be flourishing today and Christians beaten down, we know that through faith in Christ that we have already won the victory, so we need to keep praising God no matter what.