Growing in Faith in the PsalmsSample

Psalm 144: Battles

“Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.”

Psalm 144:1–2 NIV

David is writing this Psalm after many years of walking with the Lord. In several other Psalms, he used many of these same words and phrases. His journey to Psalm 144 had not been easy. There had been many tough battles. There were battles that raged within him, within his kingdom, and others that occurred on the geographical borders of his country. There were battles that were subtle and conniving, while others were in his face and very public. Some were against those he never expected would be an enemy, while others were against those he expected would be an enemy. Every battle was meant to do him great harm.

And yet here he is with the first words of Psalm 144 flowing from his pen, saying, “Praise be to the Lord my Rock…” He describes the Lord as his loving God. As his fortress, stronghold, deliverer, shield, and refuge. The battles provided David with the opportunity to know God in numerous ways. I know people who have endured a lifetime of battles, and their first words of God are not like David’s. The difference between those who speak of God as David did and those who speak of God differently has to do with their faith in God.

Faith in God turns you towards Him when battles occur. Faith in God moves you to believe there is something you can take hold of that will see you through the battle. It speaks to your soul and says to remain steady in your belief in a sovereign God. When the circumstances shout for you to take control, your faith in God hands the control to Him. Faith requires you to see beyond what is staring you in the face. Faith says the resolution of your battle, which you cannot see, is resolute in the hands of God. Faith says to pray and believe.

Holding on to our faith in the Lord will result in experiences that prove He can be our rock, fortress, stronghold, deliverer, and shield. This became David’s reality, and it is to be our reality.

Every battle entered with faith in the Lord is preparation for a battle yet to come. Every faith-fought battle is training for the next. Each trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle. Verses five through eight represent his prayer for the current battle he was facing. In the battle, we are to lift our voices to the Lord and ask Him to do what we cannot.

While the battles may be different, the Lord is not. Some battles rage within us, and some rage outside of us. The battle might be with a family member, a coworker, our financial situation, our health, our habits, or in our personal relationships. He can be our rock in all of them.

David’s journey to Psalm 144 is to be the journey of every follower of God. Every faith-fought battle is an opportunity for your faith to experience the presence and sovereignty of the Lord. Every faith-built experience will carry into the next faith-based challenge. Every future battle will be confronted not just with faith but with faith AND experience of the previous one. Each battle further defines in very personal ways within our soul who the Lord is capable of being. In some battles, He is a rock. In others, He is a loving God, or a fortress, a stronghold, a deliverer, or a shield. May we all say as we journey with the Lord through every battle the words David said as he ended this Psalm, “Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 144:15 NIV).