Day 243 Holding Hope in the Silence

Holding Hope in the Silence

by Torrie Slaughter

Psalm 44:9–26

Psalm 44 begins with celebration of God’s past faithfulness—but suddenly the tone shifts:
“But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.” (vv.9–10)

The psalmist is confused and heartbroken. God had delivered His people before, yet now it feels like He’s distant, even silent. Haven’t we all faced moments like this? Seasons when suffering seems undeserved, when prayers feel unanswered, and when faith collides with mystery.

“All this came upon us, though we had not forgotten you; we had not been false to your covenant.” (vv.17–18)
Here’s the hardest part: sometimes suffering doesn’t have a clear cause. The psalmist insists they’ve remained faithful, yet pain still comes. Scripture doesn’t erase that tension—it gives us permission to lament it.

The psalm closes with one of the most vulnerable prayers in all of Scripture:
“Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself!… Rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.”(vv.23–26)

Even in deep anguish, the psalmist clings to God’s love. He doesn’t have all the answers—but he holds to the one truth that never changes: God’s love is unfailing.

Reflection: Psalm 44 invites us to bring our honest questions and pain to God, to trust His character when His presence feels hidden, and to remember that in Christ, suffering is never the end of the story. The cross reminds us that God entered our pain, and the resurrection promises that hope will rise again.