Trust in His Power! - June 29th, 2011

“For You are my lamp, O LORD;
The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.

 For by You I can run against a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

2 Samuel 22:29-31

History and Context:

This is a psalm written by King David of Israel. It is included in the book of 2 Samuel, in the account of David's life, directly after one of David's many victories. This particular victory was over the 'giants of the Philistines' (2 Samuel 21:15-22). As noted in a previous post, David wrote many of the psalms. He was a great psalmist, musician, and worshipper of the Almighty. This particular psalm comes towards the end of the account of David's life, showing that through all his victories he continued in humility and understanding that it was God who gave him victory.

The Text:

"For by You I can run against a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall." This verse really stuck out to me as I read this passage. It shows the understanding that David had of God's power, and God's power working in him. Of course at this point David had many events to reference when looking back on his life, but this was an understanding he showed early on in life. Read this passage from early in David's life: 

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” 

1 Samuel 17:45-47

This comes from the popular chapter in which David confronts Goliath. So we see this confidence in the Lord, and in His power, went all the way through David's life, from the beginning to the end. The interesting thing to note about the first passage in 2 Samuel 22 is that it came after David's horrible sins. David knew, and trusted in, God's forgiveness enough to know that God's power would be with him in the same way it was with him in his youth.

The Challenge:

Trust in God's power! Trust in His faithfulness! Learn from the life of David. David always knew that the Lord would come through. One thing to not is that David continually sought God for what step to take next. So if you are in a place where you don't know where to go, seek God. But when He answers trust Him to provide all that you need. With Him you can go against an entire army alone! With Hime you can leap over the tallest wall! Or as Jesus put it, with Him, and faith in Him, you can move mountains! Trust in Him, and in His power in you. He is living in you, so to say "I can't" is to say "He can't". Stop speaking doubt and start trusting in the one who lives in you!

The Prayer:

Lord, I trust in you! I trust in your power within me. Forgive me for any time that I have limited you in my own self-doubt. I trust in you and I know I can do all things with you! Lead me in which way I will go and I will not let doubt hold me back! In Jesus' name, Amen!