August 30, 2017
THE BATTLE IS HIS!
Psalm 144
Kate Blocker
Central Truth
Battles are circling all around us. When we rely on our own strength to get us through these trials and temptations, we will fail every time. If we allow God to fight on our behalf, we will find rest even in the chaos of the battle.
Key Verse | Psalm 144:1–2
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
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.
(Psalm 144:1-2)
Psalm 144
My Rock and My Fortress
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
1
144:2
Many Hebrew manuscripts, Dead Sea Scroll, Jerome, Syriac, Aquila; most Hebrew manuscripts subdues my people
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;
2
144:14
Hebrew with no breaking in or going out
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!
Dive Deeper | Psalm 144
God opened my eyes to the freedom of life out of my control. I was sinking, desperately grasping onto anything I could reach to pull myself back onto my feet. I was fueled by affirmation from others and running entirely on my own strength. Because of this backwards mentality, I was completely devastated by my failure and carried the weight of all of my failures on my shoulders. I knew I couldn’t attain perfection, yet I continued to fight battles against impossible expectations that I set for myself to glorify myself. I was completely unaware of God’s role in it all. Even though I knew that He was there, I didn’t believe that He paid close enough attention to notice when I was struggling versus when I was succeeding.
In His steadfast love, He continued to pursue me by bringing into focus who He really is. He is my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, and my rest. Though I am weak, He is strong through me. Though my flesh falls short, I have a God who never will. I live in a broken world with broken people. Battles are inevitable, but they don’t have to break me because I know that the ultimate battle is already won.
With this understanding, I can fight FROM victory, not FOR victory. He knows and cares about my struggles and is constantly fighting for me. He invites me in and prepares me to join Him in the battle. There are times when He fights through me or beside me, and there are times when He asks me to be strong enough to be weak, allowing His glory to shine as He fights on my behalf. Whether I am actively engaged in the fighting or sitting on the sidelines while He fights for me, He remains the same. His faithfulness always covers and protects me. We are designed to depend. We are not made to fight these battles on our own, and He is begging to take that load from us, if we would only allow Him!
Discussion Questions
1. What battles are you facing right now? Are you relying on your own strength to push yourself through? Who or what is fueling or strengthening you?
2. What unrealistic expectations do you hold for yourself that might be blinding you from fully experiencing God’s grace?
3. How have you seen God fight for you this week? How have you experienced rest in His presence lately?