God Promises He is Present in Persecution

Psalms 129:1 They have greatly oppressed me from my youth – let Israel say – 2 they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. 3 Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. 4 But the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.
 
WHAT do you say today about the hard things in your life? Each day as you consider your life, you choose how to respond to God. Perhaps you ignore him completely. Maybe you criticize him for your troubles. Possibly you thank him for his enduring love, even when it’s difficult to feel it. With this psalmist’s song of ascent, God teaches us his ABC’s of response to trials and persecution: Accept it. Benefit from it. Commit to God. (from Warren W. Wiersbe’s Commentary on the Old Testament).
 
Accept Persecution
 
The psalm was likely written as worship was re-established in Jerusalem on the Jews’ return from the Babylon exile. With the repetition of they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, the songwriter  wants the congregation to consider Israel’s struggling existence. Persecution marks Israel’s history since God called Abram from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. (Genesis 11:31). Israel had known Egypt’s enslavement, enemies’ possession of their land several times, the Northen Tribes exiled to Assyria and Judah’s exile to Babylon. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long expresses deep spiritual pain and sorrow. Still, as God’s chosen people, the Jews needed to know they should accept this and even anticipate a future of persecution because there is a …
 
Benefit from Persecution
 
When you know you’ll have trouble, what will you do? We can constantly fight and rebel, or we can look for its benefits. Amid our trouble we must keep in mind the LORD is righteous. We accept his ways are right, and we benefit from following his will. We are exceedingly grateful, too, he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. In Christ we are not of this world. Regardless of this life’s trouble, you keep in focus that you are God’s own forever. 
   The fact that Israel still existed after the exile is a testimony to God’s strong hand on his chosen nation. God has not left his nation. It still exists today, surviving a history of horrific persecutions and attempts to annihilate the nation from the earth.
   Many attempts, too, have tried to remove the church form the earth. But there is one thing always true. God uses the trouble to increase his people. Israel has become stronger. The church continues to expand. God blesses amid the trouble. That’s why we …
 
Commit to God
 
Amid troubles and persecution, we look beyond ourselves to see what God is doing. Ultimately he will minimize and then remove the opposition. V 5 May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame. 6 May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow.
 
In all things we must remain present with God. Accept his will. Benefit in your obedience to his will. Commit your life to his will. His promised Savior has come. His promised Redeemer will come again.