He wasn’t a quitter. Until the end, fail as he might, he would be in there trying.”
–Louis L’Amour (The Proving Trail)
“‘But the word of the LORD endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”
“‘But the word of the LORD endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”
–1 Peter 1:25 (NKJV)
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Have you ever seen a map of modern day Israel and the countries around it? A small piece of land surrounded by enemies. Even within those enemy countries there are other foes such as Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, and others that vow to destroy Israel. However, as we see in Psalm 108, God is in control and has parceled out the land.
6 — That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.
7 — God has spoken in His holiness: “I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth.
8 — Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is My lawgiver.
9 — Moab is My washpot; over Edom I will cast My shoe; over Philistia I will triumph.”
10 — Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom?
11 — Is it not You, O God, who cast us off? And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
12 — Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless.
13 — Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies. (NKJV)
We see this now as past deeds which the Lord has performed, but with that in mind we know…we know that it “also constitutes promises of present and future aid.” (George Wood) David knows the heart of God, he knows the character of God and that God can be relied upon.
Edom, Moab, Philistia, where are they today? God in His providence took care of them. However, Israel is still surrounded by a host of foes. They must always be prepared for an attack for their enemies desire to annihilate them. There will come a day, not far off in the future, when it will seem that Israel will be downtrodden, but then the the Lord of Hosts will appear in the skies with the armies of heaven to deliver.
This psalm, as with others, may also be taken personally. What foes are you facing? Is it habits, or finances? Perhaps you are facing a terrific battle against foes at work, or persistent physical weakness. It may be that great enemy–self. “The very God who refuses to assist you when you are stubborn, rebellious, and self-willed turns toward you when you are vulnerable, humble, and penitent.” (Wood)
Our faith must be rightly placed; our heart must be humble and yearning to serve Him and Him alone. When we repent we call upon God to act. When we remember the promises of God, we gain strength. We must have the courage to stand upon the Word of God no matter how trying the circumstances, no matter how impossible the task may seem, no matter what or how many enemies we may be facing. Life comes at us, seasons come and go, battles ebb and flow, but the promises of God will never fail. The words of Isaiah proclaim, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8, NKJV)
“Conquering now and still to conquer, Jesus thou ruler of all,
Thrones and their scepters all shall perish; crowns and their splendor shall fall.
Not to the strong is the battle, not to the swift is the race,
But to the true and the faithful, victory is promised through grace.”
–Sallie Martin
——————————–
Have you ever seen a map of modern day Israel and the countries around it? A small piece of land surrounded by enemies. Even within those enemy countries there are other foes such as Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, and others that vow to destroy Israel. However, as we see in Psalm 108, God is in control and has parceled out the land.
6 — That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.
7 — God has spoken in His holiness: “I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth.
8 — Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is My lawgiver.
9 — Moab is My washpot; over Edom I will cast My shoe; over Philistia I will triumph.”
10 — Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom?
11 — Is it not You, O God, who cast us off? And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
12 — Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless.
13 — Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies. (NKJV)
We see this now as past deeds which the Lord has performed, but with that in mind we know…we know that it “also constitutes promises of present and future aid.” (George Wood) David knows the heart of God, he knows the character of God and that God can be relied upon.
Edom, Moab, Philistia, where are they today? God in His providence took care of them. However, Israel is still surrounded by a host of foes. They must always be prepared for an attack for their enemies desire to annihilate them. There will come a day, not far off in the future, when it will seem that Israel will be downtrodden, but then the the Lord of Hosts will appear in the skies with the armies of heaven to deliver.
This psalm, as with others, may also be taken personally. What foes are you facing? Is it habits, or finances? Perhaps you are facing a terrific battle against foes at work, or persistent physical weakness. It may be that great enemy–self. “The very God who refuses to assist you when you are stubborn, rebellious, and self-willed turns toward you when you are vulnerable, humble, and penitent.” (Wood)
Our faith must be rightly placed; our heart must be humble and yearning to serve Him and Him alone. When we repent we call upon God to act. When we remember the promises of God, we gain strength. We must have the courage to stand upon the Word of God no matter how trying the circumstances, no matter how impossible the task may seem, no matter what or how many enemies we may be facing. Life comes at us, seasons come and go, battles ebb and flow, but the promises of God will never fail. The words of Isaiah proclaim, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8, NKJV)
“Conquering now and still to conquer, Jesus thou ruler of all,
Thrones and their scepters all shall perish; crowns and their splendor shall fall.
Not to the strong is the battle, not to the swift is the race,
But to the true and the faithful, victory is promised through grace.”
–Sallie Martin