Psalm 144:1-15 (NKJV)
1 Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle—
2 My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.
3 Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
4 Man is like a breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.
7 Stretch out Your hand from above;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
From the hand of foreigners,
8 Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song to You, O God;
On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 The One who gives salvation to kings,
Who delivers David His servant
From the deadly sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—
12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as pillars,
Sculptured in palace style;
13 That our barns may be full,
Supplying all kinds of produce;
That our sheep may bring forth thousands
And ten thousands in our fields;
14 That our oxen may be well laden;
That there be no breaking in or going out;
That there be no outcry in our streets.
15 Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!
In this psalm David, a king who must wage war and rule, gives thanks to God. He confesses that victory, good fortune, and success – whether in conflict or in government – are gifts from God and do not come from any human power or ability. Human wisdom knows little of how to keep subjects under authority and rule land and people well. Why? Because humanity “is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (v. 4).
David also praises God for delivering him from Goliath (“who delivers David, His servant, from the deadly sword” v. 10). David knows how to thank and praise God, and he understands that with anything he is able to do, it is ultimately God who enables and acts.
We live in a world of narcissists, people who are full of themselves and are incapable of understanding that they have no power or authority without God’s approval or giving it. As Jesus said to Pilate, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above” (Jn 19:11). And as St Paul writes to the Romans, “For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (13:1).
Dear saint, recognize that everything you are and have is given by God to whom you should always give thanks, especially the forgiveness of your sins which was won for you by Christ’s innocent suffering and death, and the faith you have to believe and receive this wondrous salvation. May your life be filled with God’s grace as you, with Luther, proclaim, “For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey him. This is most certainly true.” Let us pray: We give thanks to You, O God, for our safety and life. Preserve civil and religious liberty in our land, to us and our children, and teach us to walk before you in true humility and in true faith, that we may be positive influences in this world to the glory of Your name, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.