In the midst of a world that is filled with anger and fear, Psalm 9 reminds us that “the Lord rules forever!” So let’s thank him and trust him to lead us each day!
Scripture:
1 Samuel, chapter 17; Psalm 9; Matthew, chapter 2
I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will talk about all your wonderful acts. I will celebrate and rejoice in you; I will sing praises to your name, most high.
When my enemies turn and retreat, they fall down and die right in front of you because you have established justice for me and my claim, because you rule from the throne, establishing justice rightly. You’ve denounced the nations, destroyed the wicked. You’ve erased their names for all time. Every enemy is wiped out, like something ruined forever. You’ve torn down their cities – even the memory of them is dead.
But the Lord rules forever! He assumes his throne for the sake of justice. He will establish justice in the world rightly; he will judge all people fairly. The Lord is a safe place for the oppressed – a safe place in difficult times. Those who know your name trust you because you have not abandoned any who seek you, Lord.
Observations – The Lord Rules Forever!
We live in a world where people exalt themselves. “Look at me!” they cry. The internet – especially social media – provides people with an outlet to promote themselves. And unfortunately, most of this self-promotion takes the form of people showing how angry they are. We’ve largely lost the ability to reason with one another; we just shout. Why? Because we want people to look at us, to tell us how great we are – and they’re not doing it!
The heart of the issue is self. Our “natural” (as in “sin nature”) inclination is to put ourselves first. When we recognize that other people aren’t putting us first, we try to manipulate them into doing what we want. Whether we use fear, or force, or rewards, our motive is the problem: we’re trying to use other people for our own benefit.
So what’s the remedy? I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will talk about all your wonderful acts.We acknowledge that every good thing has come to us from God, and we thank Him for them. We don’t take credit for anything, because we recognize that even our ability to do good things comes from God.
David and Goliath
Our companion passage from 1 Samuel 17 is the familiar story of David and Goliath. Goliath was huge – 9 feet tall, and strong as an ox. Every day, he came out to challenge the Israelite soldiers to a one-on-one, winner-take-all battle. And every day, the Israelites were terrified. How could any one of them fight against this giant?
But then David shows up. He’s not a likely candidate to fight Goliath; he’s just a boy. But he recognizes something that the other Israelites seem to have forgotten: God is on their side. “The Lord, who rescued me from the power of both lions and bears, will rescue me from the power of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37).
David’s faith helped him not to waver when he came face to face with Goliath. “You are coming against me with sword, spear, and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel’s army, the one you’ve insulted. Today the Lord will hand you over to me” (17:45-46). And that’s exactly what happened!
Application – The Lord Rules Forever!
It would have been easy for David to cower in fear if he thought he had to defeat Goliath in his own strength. You see, while our “nature” tells us that the world revolves around us, deep inside we know better. That’s where fear comes in. How can I defeat this giant, with his armor and his huge spear and sword? How can I overcome this challenge in my life? I can’t – I’m not strong enough, smart enough, or skilled enough to do this.
That’s the view that Saul had: “You can’t go out and fight this Philistine. You are still a boy. But he’s been a warrior since he was a boy!” (17:33). Saul was looking at David; David was looking at God. When my enemies turn and retreat, they fall down and die right in front of you because you have established justice for me and my claim, because you rule from the throne, establishing justice rightly.When we face the battle, we declare our trust in God’s protection and provision.
And when God brings us through the battle, we remember that it was God all along. I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will talk about all your wonderful acts.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for reminding us that you are with us in every situation. Help us to trust in you rather than in ourselves. Deliver us from the anger, fear, and frustration that marks so much of our world. As the psalmist says, “The Lord rules forever!…Those who know your name trust you because you have not abandoned any who seek you, Lord.”
Help us today to model the peace that comes from knowing that you are in control. And as we do, help us to thank you, talk about your wonderful acts, and celebrate and rejoice in you. Amen.
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