Psalm 144 is a psalm by David, with the tradition being that it is what he sang as he stood before Goliath.
I could never understand how that worked? I am not sure I would be able to compose a song or a poem under that kind of pressure! But watching my daughter make up songs as she goes through her day, and singing it max volume on her own made up tunes… I am slowly starting to see the correlations…
But that is neither here, nor there… back to the Psalm!
Verse 1 starts out with the most amazing and true statement for us today.
“…There is only one strong, safe, and secure place for me; it’s in God alone and I love him! He’s the one who gives me strength and skill for the battle. He’s my shelter of love and my fortress of faith, who wraps himself around me as a secure shield. I hide myself in this one who subdues enemies before me…”
(Psalm 144:1-2)
The Philistines have been a pain for the Israelites. Not only the skirmishes and attacks, but a long term problem in the making. Should they take hold of the Valley of Elah it would seriously impact the trade routes and potentially cut off the Hebrews from the Mediterranean. This battle was more than a footnote in the Israeli history.
But we all know how it went, because David cried out to the Lord Deliver me! Deliver us!
“…Deliver me and save me from these dark powers who speak nothing but lies. Their words are pure deceit and you can’t trust anything they say…”
(Psalm 144:7 & 11)
Now… here is the second thing that God showed me this morning.
When God steps in, the result is beyond what we can expect than we we try and do it from our own hand. We can’t lift the lockdown, but we disobey the laws of the land. We can’t cause a government relief package, but we complain in small groups and spread negativity. We can’t stop crazy arrests, or change what we are allowed to purchase. We meditate on a virus instead of God’s promises for us an our country…
My civil disobedience will not result in a future that I can sustain, or even a witness I can be proud of, but if God delivers me, (probably not with a pile of money to ride out the storm), but with a plan and a future and a change of direction, then I have certainty that I have the backing of God almighty! And I have a Kingdom plan based on the insight and understanding of God my Father, And I have a testimony to share until the day I die, And I have an anchor to hold onto in any and every future challenge.
Why is this? Because when God delivers, he also changes our perspectives.
Verse 15…
“… What bliss we experience when these blessings fall! The people who love and serve our God will be happy indeed!…”
Every gift from God creates Joy! The size doesn’t matter and the content doesn’t matter, it evokes a happiness in our hearts. A contentment in the knowledge that God is in control. It is the difference between “is this all?!” and “God has provided, again!”
“… Then our homes will be happy. Our sons will grow up as strong, sturdy men and our daughters with graceful beauty, royally fashioned as for a palace. Our barns will be filled to the brim, overflowing with the fruits of our harvest. Our fields will be full of sheep and cattle, too many to count, and our livestock will not miscarry their young. Our enemies will not invade our land, and there’ll be no breach in our walls…”
(Psalm 144:12-14)
Proverbs 3:5
“Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make.”
