Psalm 144—Steadfast Love Gives Rise to Shouts of Blessing

Life is like war. Or so David informs us in these first two verses of this psalm.

We need to be ready.

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.” Psalm 144:1-2

While life is often like war, we have a rock, a fortress, a stronghold, a deliverer. The Lord trains us for the battle. Through it all, his is a steady and steadfast love for our very soul.

“O Lord, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” Psalm 144:3-4

I stand amazed that God has regard for us at all. The more I learn of him and the more I learn of myself the more astonished I am that he thinks of us. He is eternal; we are a temporal. A breath of air that is here and then gone. A shadow that is erased when the sun emerges. I stand amazed in his presence.

“Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke! Flash forth the lightning and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them!” Psalm 144:5-6

David is an example for us, and he prayed and asked God to bend the heavens to come to our rescue. He asked that the mountains be touched with smoke and lightening. It is perfectly appropriate to ask that the Lord would come to your rescue and rout your enemies.

We are invited to ask that he reach down to rescue and deliver us. He is for truth, too. Liars are his enemy. Their reign is short-lived. The eternal reign of God is at hand.

We just need to be patient. And sing.

“I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, who gives victory to kings, who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.” Psalm 144:9-10

Considering the steadfast love of the Lord and his power, we are to sing out in worship of God. He rescues and delivers us. We mount up instruments and praise God.

We long for our sons and daughters to grow and flourish. We long to see our produce abundant and plentiful. We long to see our sheep multiply. We long to see our cattle giving birth without fail. In essence, we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).

Our God is a god of blessing. He pours out goodness on his people. We are blessed. Others declare allegiance to other gods, but our God is the Lord. Matthew 6:33 instructs us to seek first his kingdom. When we seek him and his righteousness, all these things are added to us. Or as Elizabeth Prentiss wrote in her hymn, “More Love to Thee, O Christ,” “Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest; now Thee alone I seek, give what is best.” Throughout history, people have been inspired to lift their new songs of praise.

Simply trust and seek his face. His steadfast love inspires shouts of blessing.

“Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!” Psalm 144:15