All right, all right, join the Journey family, friends, and guests. You're listening to Join the Journey

podcast with your host, Emma, daughter. Thanks for joining. Today, we're reading Psalm 124 talking

about the phrase repeated in verses 1 and 2. If it hadn't been for, fill in the blink.

Odds are, I bet most of us have a story like that.

If it hadn't been for my flat tire, for example, I would have gotten there on time.

Or if it hadn't been for AAA, I would have been strained on the side of the road forever.

Maybe if it hadn't been for the star player on the team, we wouldn't have won the game.

Or, another moment, one of my favorites that I lived, could go something to the tune of,

if it hadn't been for my friend Alice, I wouldn't have gotten Taylor Swift tickets.

We've all likely got some sort of if it hadn't been for story.

But how does this idea, the idea that there's a key player influencing outcomes,

play out for us spiritually?

Most of us would recognize, or probably recognize, that God is at work and in control of all

things.

So sure, obviously, he's the key player.

For Christians, it should be a no-brainer. Yes, of course God is at work

in our lives. Of course God is playing an incredibly critical role. But sometimes, in our brokenness,

we start to get it twisted. On one extreme, we can go to a place where we forget God is at work.

We forget he's a key player in the events of our lives,

and we start to think he's abandoned us. And then on the other end of the spectrum, another extreme,

we can recognize God is a key player so strongly that we start to get discouraged, frustrated,

angry, or even furious with God because we're so upset by the outcomes and events

...