Martin Luther and his wife Katherine von Bora

The Great One who is on our Side!

By Helen Jesze, 16^th April 2021

“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth,”

Psalm 124 KJV

Martin Luther, the great Church reformer, was usually a very cheerful man, but sometimes he had terrible fits of depression. One time he was so depressed that his friends recommended him to go away for a while, to see if it would help him. He did go away but came home as miserable as ever. When he went into the sitting-room, his wife Kate was sitting there dressed in black, and her children round about her, all in mourning.

“Oh dear!” said Luther, “who is dead?” “Why,” said Katherine, “have you not heard that God is dead? My husband, Martin Luther, would never be so depressed if he had a living God to trust in!”

Luther burst into a hearty laugh, and said, “Kate, you are a wise woman. You are right, I have been acting as if God were dead! I will not do that any more. Now go and take off those black clothes.”

In Psalm 124, David the writer, often hounded by enemies and in great danger, reminds himself that it is God who has been his help, and the help of all the nation of Israel. He describes the despair and helplessness they were in, but something made all the difference – it was because THE LORD WAS ON THEIR SIDE, that they had come through victorious!

What a wonderful encouragement this is to us today to know that God is also on OUR SIDE. Whether we are going through an easy season where things are going well, or whether we are overwhelmed and cannot see any way out and we are drowning in depression like Martin Luther, God’s Word tells us that he is not dead, but he is fighting for us.

Another time, Luther wrote the words:”If I did not see that the Lord kept watch over the ship, I should long since have abandoned the helm. But I see Him! through the storm, strengthening the tackling, handling the yards, spreading the sails – aye more, commanding the very winds! Should I not be a coward if I abandoned my post? Let Him govern, let Him carry us forward, let Him hasten or delay, we will fear nothing!”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that you see us when we are in depression and despair, but you do not condemn us. Your Word shows us the way out, that we do not have to stay there, that we can rest assured you are fighting for us and on our side. There is always a new beginning with you. Saturate us with the power and strength of your Holy Spirit, causing the shadows to flee! We give you praise and ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen!