Having a firm faith in God is a lifelong journey. It cannot be achieved in a short time. It has to go through various processes of life's trials that even expose us to loneliness and complaints because of the heavy afflictions that choke us and never end. Those who choose to face everything with Him will still choose to be by the Lord's side even when complaints arise, but they still do not forget the work of God that continues to unfold in all situations.

Psalm 44 is a reflection of the human struggle to live in steadfast faith in God. This psalm can be identified into four parts viz: The first part speaks of the remembrance of God's mercy and work on Israel in the past (verses 1-9), the second part of God's destruction and punishment of the people (verses 10-17), the third part expresses the steadfastness of himself and his people to God (verses 18-22). While in the last part, the psalmist expresses a cry to God to help them immediately (verses 23-26).

In our passage today, we see how the psalmist cries out to God over the crush that is happening in the midst of the Israelites. We see how he felt crushed by the opponents who came and threatened. They did not feel God's protection, not even the spearhead of resistance against the enemy. The helplessness felt was like a slaughtered sheep waiting for its final fate. It was unimaginable what the nation was going through. The storms of life that come continuously. At first glance, it reminds us of the concerns that are also raised over the various crises that the Indonesian nation is experiencing.

But interestingly in the last part of this chapter, the psalmist affirms his faith decision that he will not leave God in the midst of the distress experienced by his people. He realizes that God is the only one who determines his life and that of his people. Whether it is good or bad, whether it is victory or defeat, God has the power to manage people's lives. He knew well the God they worshipped. Only God has the power to maintain the entire universe. So let us also put our faith in God's help alone. The life that we live both personally and in the national context may experience various storms, but let us live out the psalmist's testimony that in the end only God knows all things. We are invited to fully surrender to God.