February 13

Psalm 44
He knows the secrets of my Heart. The very things that I do not wish anyone else to know about, He already knows. Consequently, He seems to leave me as sheep for the slaughter. What do I do? This Awesome God, who is holy and just, knows the secrets of my heart even when I cannot discern them. The Psalmist knows that. He is painfully aware that he and the nation are guilty and deserving of the invading nation that is so cruelly oppressing them. He knows that we are like sheep being led to the slaughter. But he also knows the great mercy of our Lord, so he calls upon the Lord to awaken out of His slumber and deliver!
Paul knows of the great love of the Lord. In the middle of waxing eloquent concerning the love of the Lord in Romans 8, he asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Then, Paul quotes this verse stating that for His sake we are killed all day long and led like sheep for the slaughter. Strange kind of love? Actually no! Love that is the greatest is revealed only under the greatest stresses. What stress is greater than death? What stress is greater than apparently meaningless death? He knows the dark secrets of my heart and loves me still. He ever works to remove the evil secrets and reveal His greatest love toward me and perfect my greatest love toward Him. That necessarily involves the death of my flesh. It is not a pleasurable thing, but it is necessary. It is not His hate that promotes it, rather it is His love. That is glorious. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John