Divine Training

Psalm 144:1-2 (NASB 2020)
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
{And} my fingers for battle;
My faithfulness and my fortress,
My stronghold and my savior,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.

When David was still a young man he was chosen by God to be the future king of Israel. With that position came all the responsibilities inherent with being a king. He had to make decisions that would affect the lives of thousands. He was looked to by the people to be their leader and a source of strength. And it was his responsibility to protect them from enemies. As we read the stories of the life of King David it is easy for us to see God at work behind the scenes preparing him for all that would be required of him. We can see how events were orchestrated to bring David to exactly the right places at the right time.

It is hard to imagine what this would have been like, but for David it was a reality. For many people in leadership there is a tendency to think much of their success is a result of their hard work and talents, but as we read the Psalms it is clear that David knew everything he did was a result of God’s provision. Even when he was surrounded by enemies, David had confidence that God would give His people the ability to overcome all that was before them.

In many ways our lives are very different from the life David lived. But while none of us are likely to face an actual war or battle in our lives, God is still at work shaping us and training us for what lies ahead. How wonderful it is to know that God is still our rock and that we can take refuge in Him. And when the enemy attacks, we can have confidence that our hands have been trained for war by the One who trained David. Our fingers have been prepared for battle by the God who defeated the enemies of Israel.

There is an enemy working against us, but God has equipped us to meet that enemy head on and to come out victorious. He is our faithfulness and our fortress, our stronghold and our savior. And just like David, God is working in our lives every day to bring us, fully prepared, to exactly the right place at exactly the right time.