March 28
Reading: Psalm 144
Of David.
1 Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
3 O LORD, what is man that you regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down!
Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
send out your arrows and rout them!
7 Stretch out your hand from on high;
rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
from the hand of foreigners,
8 whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God;
upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 who gives victory to kings,
who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace;
13 may our granaries be full,
providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;
14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!
Psalm 144 borrows many ideas from Psalm 18 but recasts them in the context of a blessing upon the Lord and then a request for His blessing upon God’s people. Psalm 144 begins with a sense of amazement in God who does everything for me, even though I am so insignificant compared to Him. (vss. 1-4)
Clearly, this song is written by a warrior (vs. 1) and the intimacy of God’s provision for him is amazing. God’s awesome transcendence and His imminent personal protecting provision are both depicted with powerful imagery.
Verses 5-7 depict the Lord coming in the storm, much like Psalm 18. “Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down!” Wow. Can you picture it? In a battle, a powerful thunderstorm can be the turning of the tide. More than once, God has used a thunderstorm to save David from his enemies. In verses 9-11 David worships God because of His deliverance. Then the psalm concludes with a prayer for God to bless His people and provide for all that they need. (vss. 12-15)
David’s dependance upon God for everything are on full display in Psalm 144. His ability to survive conflict and win battles, his very existence, his sustenance, and the blessing of living a prosperous and peaceful life all come from God’s gracious hand. All of David’s existence depends upon the Lord.
Do you acknowledge your dependence upon God? Do you do so daily? In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This is shorthand for asking God for all that we need to live because all that we need must come from Him. Ultimately, we get nothing for ourselves. Even our ability to fight battles and work hard requires God to provide the resources, our health, our ability, and the motivation.