Having a gym membership does not make us fit. At some point, we have to exercise. The same can be true of the Christian life. We can know our theology, attend church, sing worship songs, listen to sermons, and serve faithfully, yet our faith is truly tested when life becomes difficult. When we experience injustice, unanswered prayer, disappointment, suffering, or circumstances beyond our control, we discover whether our faith is merely something we profess or something we actually exercise.
Psalm 9 shows us what exercised faith looks like. David writes in the midst of trouble, yet he begins with praise: “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart” (Ps. 9:1). He chooses to praise God before we see him asking for deliverance. His worship is not dependent on receiving the answer he wants. He praises God because God is worthy. This reminds us that Christian worship cannot ultimately be governed by our feelings. We may not always feel joyful, but we can still acknowledge the truth about who God is. Sometimes our feelings follow our obedience; sometimes they do not. Either way, God remains worthy of our praise.
David then reminds himself of who God is. God is the righteous King and Judge who sits enthroned forever. The wicked may appear powerful and their schemes may seem successful, but their power is temporary. God’s throne is permanent. He is also a stronghold for the oppressed and a refuge in times of trouble (Ps. 9:9). The question for us is whether we actually live as though this is true. Who functions as our king? What governs our decisions? Whose approval do we seek? What do we rely upon to make ourselves feel safe? We may say that God is our King while allowing our feelings, career, money, relationships, or desire for control to govern our lives.
This is one reason prayer can be difficult. We know that God is sovereign, but we often look elsewhere for security, approval, and control. Psalm 9 calls us back to God. When circumstances are confusing, we are to remember who He is rather than allow our circumstances to define Him. God remains King, Judge, and Protector even when our lives feel disordered.
But knowing who God is raises another question: Has He remembered us? Psalm 9 answers clearly: He has not forgotten His people. “He does not forget the cry of the afflicted” (Ps. 9:12). In Scripture, God’s remembering is not passive recollection. When God remembers, He acts according to His covenant purposes. We may not understand what He is doing, but His apparent silence does not mean His absence. He sees what we cannot see, and He remembers what we may have forgotten.
The story of John Newton illustrates this truth. Newton lived a deeply sinful life and became involved in the slave trade. During a violent storm at sea, he cried out to God for mercy. That moment became a turning point in his life, eventually leading him back to Scripture and a deeper understanding of God’s grace. Newton could look back and see that it was not merely that he had remembered God. God had remembered him. God’s grace had pursued him even when he was far from God.
Because God remembers, we can pray. David does not respond to evil by taking matters into his own hands. He brings his suffering before God and asks Him to act. His prayers begin with personal needs, but they ultimately reach toward God’s glory and righteous judgment among the nations. This gives us a pattern for our own prayers. We can honestly bring our pain, injustice, fears, and needs to God while entrusting the final outcome to Him. Instead of seeking control, we seek God’s rule.
Psalm 9 also reminds us that evil will not ultimately succeed. The wicked fall into the pits they have made and become trapped by their own schemes. God’s justice may not always appear immediately, but evil does not escape His judgment. Therefore, we do not need to become our own judge or take revenge into our own hands. We can entrust justice to the God who sees perfectly and judges righteously.
The greatest reason for our confidence, however, is found beyond Psalm 9 itself—in Jesus Christ. David could praise God for His wonderful deeds, but he could not yet see the greatest act of God’s saving work. The New Testament tells us that “while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Rom. 5:10). We were not merely victims waiting for God to rescue us from our enemies; we were sinners who had rebelled against God. Yet God did not abandon us. Christ took the judgment we deserved, paid our debt on the cross, and reconciled us to God.
Because of Christ, we have an even greater reason to trust that God has not forgotten us. The cross is the clearest evidence of God’s mercy, and the resurrection is the foundation of our hope. God remembers His people, and for those who are in Christ, He promises to remember their sins no more. Even when we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness (Rom. 8:26).
When life seems chaotic, this is precisely when faith must be exercised. When answers have not come, keep praising God. When you cannot see what He is doing, remember who He is. When you feel forgotten, trust that He has not forgotten you. When you are tempted to control everything yourself, pray and entrust the situation to your sovereign King.
Our hope is not based on our mood, optimism, or ability to understand God’s purposes. It is grounded in the finished work of Christ. The cross is the unshakable reason for our praise, and the resurrection is the unstoppable reason for our hope. God is still enthroned, His justice will stand, His people will not be forgotten, and one day the disorder we experience now will give way to the perfect order of God’s kingdom. Until then, Psalm 9 calls us to exercise our faith through praise, remembrance, trust, and prayer.
