Military victories — it would be nice to hear of one right about now. That’s when the underdog wins the war or one of the battling forces just loses its will to fight. My point is that battles and wars are won and lost. That’s been true since the Book of Genesis. However, as we’ll see in this psalm, victories are won through praying. Let’s dig in…
Psalm 60
For the choir director: A psalm of David useful for teaching, regarding the time David fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. To be sung to the tune “Lily of the Testimony.” We find this story in 2 Samuel 8.
1 You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses.
You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.
2 You have shaken our land and split it open.
Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.
3 You have been very hard on us,
making us drink wine that sent us reeling.
4 But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—
a rallying point in the face of attack. Interlude (Selah)5 Now rescue your beloved people.
Answer and save us by your power.
6 God has promised this by his holiness:
“I will divide up Shechem with joy.
I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine,
and Manasseh, too.
Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors,
and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
8 But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant,
and I will wipe my feet on Edom
and shout in triumph over Philistia.”9 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Psalm 60 NLT
Who will bring me victory over Edom?
10 Have you rejected us, O God?
Will you no longer march with our armies?
11 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
12 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes.
Points to Ponder
- War is hard. It was then, and it still is now.
- In verse 2, we see that God shakes the land. Earthquakes, happened even back then. Check out the weekly World Watch report where I cover the latest quakes. In the end, in the Great Tribulation, God will shake the world again with massive earthquakes.
- Victories are won through prayer. We can pray verse 5 today: Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save [them] by your power. Who are His beloved people?
- Israel
- Born-again Christians — Children of God — those being persecuted. I also cover the latest in Christian persecution in the Saturday World Watch report.
- All kings came from the tribe of Judah and that is where Jesus is from.
- All these places mentioned were occupied by the Philistines, but truly the land belonged to God. And it still does!
- The Israelites’ Sin caused God to turn from them in the past. So, David pleads for His help. David knows that counting on men — humans — is useless.
- The last passage — With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes. That’s an assurance we have that Jesus wins in the end!
Do you need help fighting your battles?
Each day, every one of us has battles to fight and enemies to overcome. Sure, they may not be military coups or invading armies. However, they are addictions, bad habits, unhealthy relationships, health issues, and the storms that life throws at us.
In this Psalm, King David — who just learned from God that the Messiah would come from his lineage — is fighting Israel’s enemies and not having much of a victory.
David puts his trust not on men, but on God by praying! That’s what we have to do today. It’s very obvious that men are fallible. However, God isn’t. We need to put our trust in God. That’s the problem with the world today.
It’s not like Jesus didn’t warn us! His disciples asked Him, “What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” He answered us in His Olivet Discourse which we find in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13.
Albeit, Jesus comforted us by saying…
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NLT
Praying to God Brings Peace
Paul wrote…
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace (Shalom) of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
Consequently, we must reach out to God and TRUST Him! Ultimately, He is the one who equips us for all we need to withstand, all the trials, sorrows, pains and tribulations that this world holds for us. Moreover, Paul gave us instructions on how to face our battles daily — put on the full armor of God.
Undeniably, we become overcommers when we surrender our lives to Jesus because He overcame sin and death. We are doomed without Him!
Are You an Overcommer?
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…
