In The Word
Read: Psalm 108
108 My heart is steadfast, God;
I will sing, I will sing praises also with my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre;
I will awaken the dawn!
3 I will give thanks to You, Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
4 For Your mercy is great above the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted above the heavens, God,
And may Your glory be above all the earth.
6 So that Your beloved may be rescued,
Save with Your right hand, and answer me!
7 God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will triumph, I will divide up Shechem,
And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the helmet of My head;
Judah is My scepter.
9 Moab is My washbowl;
I will throw My sandal over Edom;
I will shout aloud over Philistia.”
10 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 God, have You Yourself not rejected us?
And will You not go forth with our armies, God?
12 Give us help against the enemy,
For deliverance by man is worthless.
13 Through God we will do valiantly,
And it is He who will trample down our enemies.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Parts of Psalm 108 come from Psalms 57 and 60; these two psalms mention some very stressful situations for David. One of these situations was when he was surrounded by Saul’s army while hiding in a cave. The second situation was his defeat in battle. We now know that both situations ended with God’s strength. David ended with, “Oh give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain (useless). Through God we shall do valiantly” (Psalm 108:12-13). David knew deliverance through God would be eternal.
We all want to be valiant! We want to be bold, courageous, brave, heroic, and fearless just like David. But David said that the valor came from God. God is the One who makes us brave, defiant, a man or woman of valor. So many times we cower from situations in life that we believe we could never overcome. On many occasions, David was in these same kinds of situations. But David’s confidence in God for victory gave him a confidence we all could use today. Have things in this life made you feel like a coward? Do you see mountains that you don’t believe you can climb, enemies you don’t think could ever be defeated? Be like David and call upon the Lord to be your army. He wants to help you in these situations, even in the areas of sin. Even when you believe your sins cannot be defeated, ask the Lord to help you fight that battle. David realized that the strength he had came from the Lord; we can have that same strength! God didn’t love David more than He loves you now; He is ready to come to your assistance. Call on Him, be valiant!