By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence…. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
Psalm 59:9, 17
In seeking to grasp this Psalm’s meaning, it is crucial to understand its historical context. The inspired caption to Psalm 59 says, ‘To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.’
1 Samuel 19 tells the story. After the Lord enabled David to topple Goliath, David became an overnight national hero. His name was on everyone’s lips and King Saul noticed. When he should have been rejoicing to have such a man as David on his team helping the nation fight its enemies, he instead began to view David as a rival, competing with him for glory. Soon that jealousy became an obsession.
On one particular night, it led him to send soldiers to besiege David in his own house. Their threats were sharp and frightening (vv. 6-7). David said, ‘The mighty are gathered against me’ (v. 3). His wife said, ‘If you don’t escape tonight, you’ll be dead in the morning.’
What could one innocent man (v. 3) do against a foe as strong as this?
He could wait on God. Verse 9 says, ‘Because of his [King Saul’s] strength will I wait upon thee…’
This Psalm is a record of David expressing his reliance on God. It culminates in verse 17 with a reference to God as ‘my strength.’
When I am weak, too weak to overcome mighty foes, I too must cry out to God, ‘O my strength!’
When temptations to sin seem too strong for me, I must follow David’s cue and cry out to the Lord for the power to defeat my fleshly lusts.
And when fear like a firebomb threatens to engulf my heart, I must say with David, ‘Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing.’
Father, there are times in my life when You have permitted mighty enemies to attack me. At those moments I have experienced Your strength firsthand. You have consistently preserved my life. Thank You that ‘greater is he that is in [me] than he that is in the world’ (1 John 4:4). I’m grateful that while the devil is like a strong man, my precious Saviour is stronger than the strong man (Luke 11:21-22). You have already defeated the devil! What comfort that gives to me! Help me to live in victory rather than defeat. Help me to rely on You. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.