Psalm 43 - Victory in Jesus

Last night, we sung the old hymn, Victory in Jesus. The first verse of which goes like this:

I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory,

How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me;

I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning,

Then I repented of my sins and won the victory.

This verse describes a person hearing the good news of the Gospel, repenting, and putting their faith in Christ. After singing this, we move on to the chorus:

O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever,

He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

The second verse describes the author’s growing in knowledge of biblical truth, and applying that knowledge to his life. The third verse then looks forward to the heavenly blessings that the believer in Christ will receive. And it is all due to the Victory that we have in Jesus, because He sought us and bought us with His blood when He died on the cross for our sins.

Sometimes, we just need to remind ourselves of the great work that God has done for us in the past. It is perfectly fine, even encouraged, for us to come to God with our requests, our questions, and our laments about the woes of life. But, ultimately, we must remember the great work that God has done on our behalf, and rest in this wonderful victory.

That is the formula which David follows in Psalm 43. It is a great model prayer for us to use as well.

Please read Psalm 43 in its entirety.

As David writes this Psalm, he has requests, questions, and more requests. He begins by requesting for God to “vindicate” David against the unjust crimes of which he is being accused. He expresses this request over and over: “vindicate me,” “defend my cause,” “deliver me!” He reminds me of the persistent widow who comes to the judge with her problems again and again.

When we are in turmoil, we do not express our problems to God once and then magically feel better. Often, we need to cry out to God again and again before we begin to feel like we have thoroughly expressed our pain.

After requesting God to deliver him, David then accuses God with questions: “Why have you rejected me?” “Why do I go about mourning?” Why am I suffering “the oppression of the enemy?”

Those familiar with sorrow are all too familiar with this aspect of prayer. Some may view it as a lack of faith to ask God these questions of “why,” but we are asking them because of our faith. We are going to God with our doubts, with our sorrows, with our pain, and asking the Perfect Holy One why He is allowing us to suffer.

In desperation, we then cry out to God and ask for deliverance. “Send out your light and your truth,” “lead me,” “bring me to your holy hill.” Essentially crying out, “Oh God, it is within your power to deliver me! Let my enemies see the error of their ways and justify me with the truth!”

If only God would deliver David, then he says “I will go to the altar of God… and I will praise you.” David’s praise for God is conditional upon God’s deliverance of him. While we don’t want to admit it, this is true of everyone. We do not praise God unless He has first demonstrated that He is worthy of praise by delivering us from some great evil. This is a common fact across all humanity. People will praise God if God will save them.

However, David then remembers the most crucial detail of all: God has already saved David! There is no need for his soul to be cast down; God is already “my salvation and my God.” David already has the Victory in Jesus, so to speak.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are saved! As saved believers, we will still go through times of sorrow. In those times, let us follow David’s model of prayer in Psalm 43: let us cry out to God for deliverance; question God as to why we are suffering; and plead with God to save us. Then, when all the emotions have been expressed, let us remember that God has already saved us. I already have Victory in Jesus! And I will praise Him today!