Each morning, I read the psalm of the day from the New International Version first; then I turn to the Message paraphrase from Eugene Peterson, Bible Scholar and pastor who put the songs of David, Asaph, and others into the language of his congregation so that could use the words for easy praise and pray.  It is not lost on us that David, the shepherd boy who became the anointed King of Israel, went before God before going to battle!  David knew God personally and was known far and wide as a man who ran after the heart of God, as scriptures say.  David knew this truth; that with God, he would gain victory over the enemy who sought to destroy God’s people. 

How well do we know God personally?  Do we have the blessed assurance that David demonstrated before battling the enemies of God?  Do we begin each day going before Him, seeking His wisdom, standing on His promises, with surrender to His will?  Do we seek God’s wisdom for battle as we put on our weapons of power from God as protection from the “chief among liars”?  Satan, the fallen angel, is God’s Number One Enemy with limited power, but enough power with an army of demons who seek to distract us from God with deceptive thinking about God with the sole purpose to dissolve our faith in our Almighty God.  God sent Jesus to battle this annoying enemy of our souls once and for all and has already won the war against him.  The cross did not defeat Jesus, for God raised His Son from death to life, scars and all, so He could walk among the disciples for forty more days on earth to prove God’s victory over death! This is amazing power, love, mercy, and grace! 

Yes, there is no one greater than our God!  There is no one who loves like He loves us. There is no one, not even Satan, who can defeat God for God has already won the battle with his fallen angel from heaven.  But as you know, as we still live in our imperfect, fallen world, because of Adam and Eve’s sin; the first humans who fell for the deceptive practices of our enemy.  Satan tenaciously continues to cause troubles in this life among God’s created humans.  Satan’s desire is to destroy our faith, deceive with what looks like God but is not, while causing division among God’s people with efforts to take our souls committed to God in daily skirmishes in a battle already won. Inspired by God and saved by the blood of Jesus, the Apostle Paul reminded the faithfully committed;

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”—Ephesians 6:12 

Jesus promises to be with us always in all the details of this life on earth with an ironclad promise to be the One and Only who redeems all who believe and who is the Only way to God.  Just before allowing Himself to be arrested, rebuked and accused by the religious, spit on by Roman guards, and whipped beyond recognition before going to the cross to be crucified in shame among sinners; Jesus tells his followers they will have peace in him, face trouble in the world, but to take courage because he has won the victory.

Jesus, Son of Man, knew pain and suffering.  Jesus, Son of God, also knew that everything that happens on earth is merely a moment in the battle to redeem us from our sins and gain life eternally with God.  With God—We gain! Jesus is the Victor who overcomes the world!  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”—Jesus, John 16:33

Psalm 108, The Message

A song. A psalm of David.

^1-2 I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe.
Ready to sing,
    ready to raise a God-song:
“Wake, soul! Wake, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

^3-6 I’m thanking you, God, out in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!
And for the sake of the one you love so much,
    reach down and help me—answer me!

^7-9 That’s when God spoke in holy splendor:
    “Brimming over with joy,
I make a present of Shechem,
    I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift.
Gilead’s in my pocket,
    to say nothing of Manasseh.
Ephraim’s my hard hat,
    Judah my hammer.
Moab’s a scrub bucket—
    I mop the floor with Moab,
Spit on Edom,
    rain fireworks all over Philistia.”

^10-11 Who will take me to the thick of the fight?
    Who’ll show me the road to Edom?
You aren’t giving up on us, are you, God?
    refusing to go out with our troops?

^12-13 Give us help for the hard task;
    human help is worthless.
In God we’ll do our very best;
    he’ll flatten the opposition for good.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn that we are in a daily battle for our souls by a powerful opponent.  We respond to the battle by realizing first that the war has already been won by Jesus Christ, Redeemer, Savior and Lord of our lives who has all power! 

We learn that we will deal with daily skirmishes with our number one enemy who needles our thoughts with nothing but evil to make us fall forever.  We respond like Jesus did when tempted in the desert; with the Truth of God’s Word!  For With God—We gain! 

We learn we need help!  We cannot do life without God’s Holy Spirit power living in us!  God gives all we need to combat our enemy, Satan.  We respond by listening, trusting, and obeying by putting on our spiritual armor, surrendering to God’s will and power to overcome, and all the while praying for each other with faith in God with His love flowing from us. With faith, we relax.  For Jesus has and will overcome the enemy.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:13-18

Consider this—

As soon as Jesus told his disciples to relax with His peace with the promise, “I have overcome the world”, Jesus prayed for them!  How powerful it is when Jesus stands in the gap for His redeemed before God!  Jesus stands in the gap between earth and heaven for us as our Advocate!  Let that truth settle in our minds today!  We cannot lose!

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. —Jesus, John 17:1-5

At this point, I can only worship with the psalmist with a choruses of my youth;

In my life, Lord, be gloried

Be glorified

In my life, Lord, be gloried today…

(Words and music by Bob Kilpatrick)

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God, my Savior

Standing, standing—I’m standing on the promises of God!

(Composed by Russell Carter, 1886)

Lord,

The psalms of David, imagining sung by him with others in worship to you ignites our hearts, minds, and souls today!  I’m yours.  I’m standing on your promises.  Thank you for your love and care. Thank you for troubles that teach us while giving us victory!  You are God—we are not. To you be all the glory, honor, and praise forever!  With You—We gain life forever!

In Jesus Name, Amen