TRUSTING HIS STRONGHOLD

Alisha Illian

Central Truth

We were meant to do hard things. Something will always have ahold of us. But the Lord promises to be a stronghold for those who know and trust His great name. We can choose to trust ourselves or the One who promises to fight for us.

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
(Psalm 9:9-10)

I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds

^{1

9:1
Psalms 9 and 10 together follow an acrostic pattern, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they form one psalm} To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben.^{2

9:1
Probably a musical or liturgical term} A Psalm of David.

1 I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before^{3

9:3
Or because of} your presence.
4 For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

5 You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
    you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
    their cities you rooted out;
    the very memory of them has perished.

7 But the LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
8 and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.

9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion!
Tell among the peoples his deeds!
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13 Be gracious to me, O LORD!
    See my affliction from those who hate me,
    O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may recount all your praises,
    that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
    I may rejoice in your salvation.

15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16 The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion.^{4

9:16
Probably a musical or liturgical term} Selah

17 The wicked shall return to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.

18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

19 Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail;
let the nations be judged before you!
20 Put them in fear, O LORD!
Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah

Footnotes

[1] 9:1 Psalms 9 and 10 together follow an acrostic pattern, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they form one psalm
[2] 9:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
[3] 9:3 Or because of
[4] 9:16 Probably a musical or liturgical term

At summer camp, my oldest son was learning to water ski. He quickly became frustrated over his inability to stand up on the awkward planks. Then his camp counselor said something quite insightful: "Buddy, you were made to do hard things."

God’s people are often referred to as "the oppressed." We endure tough journeys, impossible obstacles, and hostile enemies. As His precious children, we are not immune to difficulty. But we are made to do hard things.

There are two choices in the midst of trouble. We can use our own means to cope (food, drugs, friends, porn, knowledge, exercise, etc.), or we can turn to the Lord. We will always take ahold of something; or something will take ahold of us. In these moments, God promises to be our stronghold.

But you can't trust what you don't know. The more we learn of His goodness, faithfulness, love, wisdom, and justice—His great name—the more we can trust Him. Our hope can rest in His unchanging character and nature, His enduring love, and His promise to fight for us. A greater knowledge produces greater trust.

Last year, the brakes on my car were going bad. So I had a mechanic install new pads. He assured me the new brake pads would fix the problem, but, to be honest, I was a little hesitant. I couldn't just muster up greater trust because he said so. I had to have him re-explain the solution a few times, show me the old pads, and supply me more information on how they fixed it. And my trust grew.

So it is with the Lord.

The more time I spend with Him, the more I understand His ways. And it allows me to trust Him more. Trusting anything other than the Lord digs a deep pit, a man-made trap. I've fallen into those pits more than once leaning on my own understanding. For the best of men are still only men at best (see Proverbs 19:21).

Life is full of hard things, but we were made to do hard things.

So hold on. Hold out. Hold strong. For the Lord God is our stronghold.

1. What/whom do you turn to in times of trouble? Is your first inclination to phone a friend, gain greater knowledge, pursue retail therapy, trust in your own ability, or lean on the Lord? What/who is the main stronghold in your life?

2. Practically, what are some ways you can allow the Lord to take ahold of you, to "know God more" so you can "trust God more"? Check out this link to the names of God, which reflect the unchanging character of God: http://www.gotquestions.org/names-of-God.html

3. Do you trust the Lord's faithfulness to fight for you and uphold you in the storms of life? If not, pray that He allows you to see more of who He really is and diligently seek to learn more about Him and His nature through the Word.