There are times in our faith journey when we feel as though we’re walking alone. We read stories of God’s powerful interventions in Scripture, hear testimonies of miraculous answers to prayer, and yet in our own lives, we’re met with silence. Psalm 44 speaks directly to that feeling of disorientation, frustration, and even despair.
The psalm begins with a familiar recounting of God’s mighty works: “O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old” (Psalm 44:1). The author recalls the miraculous ways God saved His people in the past. He reflects on the reality that it wasn’t by their strength that they were rescued, but by the hand of God alone. And still, the psalmist remains firm in his faith, not trusting in his own “bow” or “sword,” but fully dependent on the Lord.
Yet, the tone of the psalm soon shifts. The psalmist speaks of feeling abandoned by God. “But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies” (Psalm 44:9). Instead of victory, they are facing defeat. Instead of favor, they are a laughingstock. Despite their faithfulness to God, despite rejecting idolatry and remaining true to Him, they are being crushed by their enemies. The psalmist can’t understand why.
It’s a cry many of us have echoed in our own hearts. We believe in God’s power. We trust in His goodness. And yet, we wonder: Why aren’t you acting now, Lord? Why do you seem so distant when I need you the most?
What makes this psalm particularly striking is its lack of resolution. The psalmist doesn’t tie it up with a neat bow. He doesn’t suddenly shift to a victorious proclamation of deliverance. Instead, he ends in a state of unresolved tension: “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!” (Psalm 44:23).
This unresolved ending teaches us something important about faith. There are seasons in our walk with God when we feel abandoned or forgotten. There are moments when, despite our best efforts to live faithfully, we experience defeat or suffering, and we don’t understand why. Psalm 44 gives us permission to voice those feelings honestly before God.
One of the purposes of Psalm 44 is to remind us that faith doesn’t always come with immediate answers or resolution. The psalmist’s cry for God to “wake up” is an expression of deep longing and frustration, but it is also an expression of trust. Even in his despair, the psalmist directs his cries to God. He hasn’t turned away; he continues to call on the One who has acted in the past, trusting that God is still there, even when He seems silent.
Sometimes, we equate faith with certainty and resolution, but the psalmist shows us that true faith often involves living in the tension of not knowing. It’s about holding onto God’s past faithfulness while waiting in the present silence. It’s about trusting in His character, even when His actions seem hidden from us.
What’s beautiful about Psalm 44 is that it models a type of faith we don’t often talk about: the faith to lament. Lament is an expression of grief and sorrow before God, but it’s not a sign of weakness. In fact, lament is a powerful act of faith. When we bring our pain, our confusion, and our unanswered questions to God, we are acknowledging that He is the only One who can truly understand and meet us in those moments.
We often want quick resolutions to our struggles, but sometimes God calls us to wait, to endure, and to trust Him in the silence. That waiting can be hard, but it’s also a space where God does some of His most profound work in our hearts. It’s in the waiting that we learn perseverance. It’s in the silence that we are shaped.
As we reflect on Psalm 44, we’re invited to sit with the tension. We’re invited to be honest with God about our frustrations and our longing for Him to act. And at the same time, we’re reminded that God’s silence is not His absence. Just because we don’t see His hand moving in the ways we expect doesn’t mean He’s forgotten us.
If you’re in a season of waiting, where God seems distant or unresponsive, know that you’re not alone. The psalmist felt it too. And yet, his unanswered cries were still cries of faith. He knew that even in the silence, God was still listening. The same is true for us today.
While we may not always understand why God chooses to act powerfully in some seasons and seems silent in others, we can trust that His timing and His ways are always perfect. Psalm 44 doesn’t offer an easy answer, but it does offer a powerful reminder: faith sometimes means trusting God in the silence and waiting for His rescue in His time.
As you sit with this psalm, may you find comfort in knowing that even in the unresolved moments, God is still faithful. He sees you, He hears you, and He is with you—whether you feel it or not.
