Psalm 44:18 Study Bible: Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path,

◄ Psalm 44:18 ►

Our hearts have not turned back; our steps have not strayed from Your path.

Our hearts have not turned back
This phrase emphasizes steadfastness and loyalty to God. The Hebrew word for "hearts" is "לֵבָב" (levav), which often signifies the inner self, including mind, will, and emotions. In the context of ancient Israel, the heart was seen as the center of one's being and decision-making. The phrase "have not turned back" uses the Hebrew "שׁוּב" (shuv), meaning to return or retreat. This suggests a conscious decision to remain faithful, even when faced with adversity. Historically, Israel often faced temptations to turn away from God, especially during times of trial or when influenced by surrounding pagan cultures. This verse is a declaration of unwavering commitment to God, despite external pressures.

nor have our steps strayed from Your path
The imagery of "steps" and "path" is common in biblical literature, symbolizing one's conduct and life journey. The Hebrew word for "steps" is "פְּעָמִים" (pe'amim), which can also mean footsteps or occurrences, indicating the actions and decisions one makes. "Strayed" comes from the Hebrew "נָטָה" (natah), meaning to deviate or turn aside. This suggests a deliberate choice to remain aligned with God's will. "Your path" refers to God's commandments and guidance, often depicted as a straight and narrow way. In the historical context of Israel, following God's path was crucial for maintaining the covenant relationship. This phrase underscores the importance of obedience and faithfulness in one's spiritual walk, serving as an inspiration for believers to remain true to God's teachings.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Sons of Korah
The authors of Psalm 44, a group of Levitical singers and composers in the temple worship.

2. Israel
The nation to whom the Psalm is directed, representing the collective experience of God's chosen people.

3. God's Path
Symbolic of the covenant relationship and the commandments given to Israel, representing faithfulness to God's ways.

Teaching Points

Faithfulness in Adversity
Despite challenges, the psalmist declares unwavering faithfulness to God. Believers are encouraged to remain steadfast in their faith, even when circumstances are difficult.

Heart and Actions Aligned
The verse highlights the importance of both internal devotion (heart) and external obedience (steps). Christians should strive for consistency between their beliefs and actions.

Covenant Relationship
The psalm reflects a deep commitment to the covenant relationship with God. Believers today are called to honor their relationship with God through obedience and trust.

Spiritual Perseverance
The steadfastness described in the verse serves as a model for spiritual perseverance. Christians are encouraged to persist in their faith journey, trusting in God's guidance.

Reflection and Repentance
Regular self-examination is vital to ensure that one's heart and steps remain aligned with God's path. Repentance is necessary when deviations occur.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the declaration of faithfulness in Psalm 44:18 inspire you to remain steadfast in your own faith journey?

2. In what ways can you ensure that your heart and actions are aligned with God's path, as described in this verse?

3. Reflect on a time when you faced adversity. How did your faith help you to stay on God's path during that period?

4. How can the concept of a covenant relationship with God, as seen in Psalm 44:18, influence your daily decisions and actions?

5. What practical steps can you take to regularly examine your heart and steps to ensure they are in line with God's will?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Deuteronomy 5:32-33
This passage emphasizes the importance of walking in the ways of the Lord, similar to the commitment expressed in Psalm 44:18.

Proverbs 4:26-27
These verses encourage believers to keep their feet from evil and to stay on the path of righteousness, echoing the steadfastness mentioned in Psalm 44:18.

Hebrews 10:23
This New Testament verse calls believers to hold fast to their confession of hope without wavering, paralleling the unwavering heart and steps in Psalm 44:18.

Sermons

A Prayer for Help Against Foreign Enemies	C. Short	Psalm 44:1-26
Aspects of National Piety	Homilist	Psalm 44:1-26
Early Israel, the Lord's Host	John Thomas, M. A.	Psalm 44:1-26
God's Doings of Old	Homilist	Psalm 44:1-26
In the Days of Old	W. Forsyth	Psalm 44:1-26
Lessons from the Past	Canon Liddon.	Psalm 44:1-26
The Days of Old	J. A. Jacob, M. A.	Psalm 44:1-26
The Eternal Providence of God	J. Parker, D. D.	Psalm 44:1-26
The Story of God's Mighty Acts		Psalm 44:1-26

People

Jacob, Korah, Psalmist

Places

Jerusalem

Topics

Aside, Backward, Declined, Departed, Deviated, Heart, Hearts, Path, Step, Steps, Strayed, Turn

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Psalm 44:18

5015 heart, and Holy Spirit
5151 feet

Psalm 44:9-19

5836 disgrace

Psalm 44:9-26

5243 byword
6115 blame

Library

Second Sunday after Easter
Text: First Peter 2, 20-25. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Sermon at the Opening Services of the General Convention, October 2, 1889
"We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work Thou didst their days, in the times of old."--PSALM xliv. I. Brethren: I shall take it for granted that there is a visible Church; that it was founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ, and has His promise that the gates of hell shall never prevail against it. We believe that ours is a pure branch of the apostolic Church; that it has a threefold ministry; that its two sacraments--Baptism and the Supper of the Lord--are of perpetual …
H.B. Whipple—Five Sermons

The Story of God's Mighty Acts
Now, my dear friends, this morning I intend to recall to your minds some of the wondrous things which God has done in the olden time. My aim and object will be to excite your minds to seek after the like; that looking back upon what God has done, you may be induced to look forward with the eye of expectation, hoping that he will again stretch forth his potent hand and his holy arm, and repeat those mighty acts he performed in ancient days. First, I shall speak of the marvellous stories which our …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

Name Date No.
NAME DATE No. A Abelard, Rev. Peter 1079-1142 544 Adams, Mrs. Sarah (Flower) 1805-1848 222 Addison, Joseph 1672-1719 237, 252, 317 Ainger, Arthur Campbell 1841-1919 483 Alexander, Mrs. Cecil Frances (Humphreys) 1823-1895 87, 138, 156, 159, 179, 268, 283, 349, 358, 525, 553 Alford, Dean Henry 1810-1871 270, 344, 421, 531, 541 Allen, Rev. James 1734-1804 157 Anonymous 37, 173, 197, 209, 257, 284, 347, 355, 356, 377, 398 Armstrong, Bishop John 1813-1856 454 Auber, Miss Harriet 1773-1862 199 cNAME DATE …
Various—The Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA

Letter xv. To Turribius, Bishop of Asturia , Upon the Errors of the Priscillianists.
To Turribius, Bishop of Asturia [137] , upon the errors of the Priscillianists. Leo, bishop, to Turribius, bishop, greeting. I. Introductory. Your laudable zeal for the truth of the catholic Faith, and the painstaking devotion you expend in the exercise of your pastoral office upon the Lord's flock is proved by your letter, brother, which your deacon has handed to us, in which you have taken care to bring to our knowledge the nature of the disease which has burst forth in your district from the …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Mystery
Of the Woman dwelling in the Wilderness. The woman delivered of a child, when the dragon was overcome, from thenceforth dwelt in the wilderness, by which is figured the state of the Church, liberated from Pagan tyranny, to the time of the seventh trumpet, and the second Advent of Christ, by the type, not of a latent, invisible, but, as it were, an intermediate condition, like that of the lsraelitish Church journeying in the wilderness, from its departure from Egypt, to its entrance into the land …
Joseph Mede—A Key to the Apocalypse

Appendix iv. An Abstract of Jewish History from the Reign of Alexander the Great to the Accession of Herod
The political connection of the Grecian world, and, with it, the conflict with Hellenism, may be said to have connected with the victorious progress of Alexander the Great through the then known world (333 b.c.). [6326] It was not only that his destruction of the Persian empire put an end to the easy and peaceful allegiance which Judæa had owned to it for about two centuries, but that the establishment of such a vast Hellenic empire. as was the aim of Alexander, introduced a new element into …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Epistle Lxvii. To Quiricus, Bishop, &C.
To Quiricus, Bishop, &c. Gregory to Quiricus, Bishop, and the other catholic bishops in Hiberia [183] . Since to charity nothing is afar off, let those who are divided in place be joined by letter. The bearer of these presents, coming to the Church of the blessed Peter, Prince of the apostles, asserted that he had received letters for us from your Fraternity, and had lost them, with other things also, in the city of Jerusalem. In them, as he says, you were desirous of enquiring with regard to priests …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Under the Shepherd's Care.
A NEW YEAR'S ADDRESS. "For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."--1 Peter ii. 25. "Ye were as sheep going astray." This is evidently addressed to believers. We were like sheep, blindly, willfully following an unwise leader. Not only were we following ourselves, but we in our turn have led others astray. This is true of all of us: "All we like sheep have gone astray;" all equally foolish, "we have turned every one to his own way." Our first …
J. Hudson Taylor—A Ribband of Blue

Introduction. Chapter i. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers.
St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. He learnt his theology, as we shall see, from Eastern authorities, and was not content to carry on and develop the traditional teaching of the West; and the disciple …
St. Hilary of Poitiers—The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers

Triumph Over Death and the Grave
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin: and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. T he Christian soldier may with the greatest propriety, be said to war a good warfare (I Timothy 1:18) . He is engaged in a good cause. He fights under the eye of the Captain of his salvation. Though he be weak in himself, and though his enemies are many and mighty, he may do that which in other soldiers …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

The Prophet Joel.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The position which has been assigned to Joel in the collection of the Minor Prophets, furnishes an external argument for the determination of the time at which Joel wrote. There cannot be any doubt that the Collectors were guided by a consideration of the chronology. The circumstance, that they placed the prophecies of Joel just between the two prophets who, according to the inscriptions and contents of their prophecies, belonged to the time of Jeroboam and Uzziah, is …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Calvin -- Enduring Persecution for Christ
John Calvin was born in 1509, at Noyon, France. He has been called the greatest of Protestant commentators and theologians, and the inspirer of the Puritan exodus. He often preached every day for weeks in succession. He possest two of the greatest elements in successful pulpit oratory, self-reliance and authority. It was said of him, as it was afterward said of Webster, that "every word weighed a pound." His style was simple, direct, and convincing. He made men think. His splendid contributions to …
Various—The World's Great Sermons, Volume I

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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