Word of Encouragement (01/17/2024)
He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great. 37 You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip; 38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and did not turn back until they were consumed. 39 I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise; they fell under my feet. 40 For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. 41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me, those who hated me, and I destroyed them. 42They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them. 43 I beat them fine as the dust of the earth; I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets. (2 Sam. 22:35-43)
In this section, David uses military imagery to describe how God has strengthened him.
Not only did God strengthen David’s feet (v. 34), but God also trained his hands for war. How abundant and useful God’s blessings are! We need strong feet to move around and go places. But we also need strong hands to do things. Evolutionary biologists attribute the development of human civilization to the unique shape of our hands (along with our brains, of course). It is God, who gave us our unique hands and other faculties to bear His image and fulfill His purpose for our lives. He, who gave us our hands, can strengthen them so we can do what He calls us to do.
Here, David speaks of God strengthening his hands for war. He was a man of war. Especially as Israel’s king in a turbulent time of the nation’s history, he was involved in many battles and wars. Fighting was an important part of his life and role as king. We can see that God not only called him to be king but also provided him with what he needed to be king and defend his country against foreign invaders.
This is the confidence we can have when God calls us to a mission or task. When God extends a call to us, it is not because we are capable of doing the job. God takes into account our unique talents and gifts. We may have to have certain qualifications as in the case of serving as elders and deacons (1 Tim. 3). But just because you have certain talents and abilities and qualifications doesn’t mean that you are adequate to accomplish God-given missions: “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Ps. 127:1). So, when God called Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt, and he gave many excuses, God did not try to convince him that he could do the job; He simply said, “I will be with you” (Ex. 3:12). When he gave the excuse of not speaking well, God rebuked him, saying, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD” (Ex. 4:11)?
Oh, how sufficient and powerful God’s help is! “[M]y arms can bend a bow of bronze.” This expression points to the supernatural source of David’s strength, which enabled him to do what he could not do on his own. Sometimes, we experience it in a readily recognizable way in a sudden boost of energy or zeal or insight. But most of the time, we experience it in a more subtle way; we see it in hindsight after coming out of an impossible situation.
What we are speaking of here—God calling us to a task and providing us with the strength to do it—is the principle of the covenant of grace. God gave us the Law. But we could not fulfill it. So, He sent His Son to fulfill its righteous requirement for us so that, by trusting Him as our Savior, we might receive salvation. By the same principle, He enables us to fulfill His purpose for us.
What is it that God wants you to do, but you don’t feel like you can do it? When you step out in faith and commit yourself to do it, God will help you to do it.