Do we really “get what we deserve” in life?
Perhaps not. Do we “get what we deserve” when it comes to God?
God surely rewards His people according to their works (Romans 2:9-10). But life is simply not that simple.
The writer of Psalm 44 believes in God, and particularly the God of Israel. He believes that God has a decided prejudice for His people – and he’s right! But in this particular case, God’s people have not gotten what they deserve. They have not, according to the Psalmist, forgotten God nor been disobedient to His covenant nor strayed from His path nor worshiped other gods. But God has humbled them, crushed them, made them a derision in the face of their enemies and filled them with shame.
We might, with Job’s friends, reprove the Psalmist and say: “God doesn’t work like that.” But if the Psalmist is telling the truth, God does. So how can we explain this?
We can’t, except to say: “We do not know everything about the plans of God.” In the end, when we find ourselves in a similar situation, we can only do what Job did and what the Psalmist does, take our feelings to God, and trust in Him. He alone is our hope.