2 Samuel 22:33-51: a reflection

33God is my strong fortress. He makes my way perfect. 34He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places. 35He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. 36You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great. 37You have enlarged my steps under me. My feet have not slipped. 38I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them. I didn’t turn again until they were consumed. 39I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can’t arise. Yes, they have fallen under my feet. 40For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 41You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. 42They looked, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them. 43Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad. 44You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people. You have kept me to be the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me. 45The foreigners will submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me. 46The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places. 47The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation, 48even the God who executes vengeance for me, who brings down peoples under me, 49who brings me away from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man. 50Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name. 51He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”

In his great song of thanksgiving, David gives God the credit for all his strength and success, and one line stands out for its tenderness: your gentleness has made me great. God is my strong fortress, David sings; you have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness has made me great. Amid all the language of strength and victory, David pauses to trace his greatness not to God's power alone, but to God's gentleness, his condescension, his kindness in stooping to a lowly servant. It was God's gentleness, his tender condescension toward David, that lifted him up and made him great. God works not only by power but by gentleness, stooping to lift up the lowly. This shows that God's gentleness, his tender condescension, lifts us up. God's gentleness, not only his power, makes us great. It is God's tender condescension that lifts up the lowly. God stoops in gentleness to lift us up. God's gentleness toward us has made us what we are.

Notice the striking line amid David's song of strength: your gentleness has made me great. David is recounting God's mighty acts on his behalf, all the strength and victory God gave him; but he traces his greatness not to God's power alone, but to God's gentleness. It was God's gentleness, his tender condescension in stooping to notice, choose, care for, and lift up a lowly shepherd, that made David great. God did not have to stoop to David; but in his gentleness he did, and this gentle condescension is what lifted him up. This is a beautiful and often overlooked truth about how God deals with us. We might expect God to work only by power, by mighty acts; and he does work powerfully. But God also works by gentleness, by tender condescension, stooping low to care for, lift up, and honor lowly people who had no claim on him. It is God's gentleness, not only his power, that makes us what we are. Whatever we are, whatever good has come to us, whatever we have been lifted to, we owe to God's gentle condescension toward us, his kindness in stooping to us. This should move us to gratitude and humility: to recognize that it is God's gentleness that has made us anything, and to give him the credit. We do well to trace whatever we are to God's gentle condescension, and to thank him for it. God's gentleness, not only his power, has lifted us up. Trace whatever you are to God's gentle condescension toward you. God stoops in gentleness to make the lowly great. Give God the credit for his gentleness that has made you what you are.

That is worth taking to heart, for it is God's gentleness, his tender condescension, that lifts us up and makes us what we are, and we do well to trace whatever we are to it, as David sang that God's gentleness had made him great. We can imagine God works only by power; but David traced his greatness to God's gentleness, his tender condescension in stooping to a lowly servant. God works by gentleness too. Whatever you are, trace it to God's gentle condescension toward you, and give him the credit and thanks. Trace whatever you are and whatever good has come to you to God's gentleness, his tender condescension in stooping to lift up the lowly, and give him the credit, as David, in his great song of thanksgiving, gave God the credit for all his strength and success and paused to sing, your gentleness has made me great; for amid all the language of strength and victory David traced his greatness not to God's power alone but to God's gentleness, his condescension in stooping to notice, choose, care for, and lift up a lowly shepherd who had no claim on him, since God did not have to stoop to David but in his gentleness did, and this gentle condescension is what lifted him up, which is a beautiful and often overlooked truth about how God deals with us, since we might expect God to work only by power and mighty acts, and he does work powerfully, but God also works by gentleness, stooping low to care for, lift up, and honor lowly people, so that it is God's gentleness, not only his power, that makes us what we are, and whatever good has come to us we owe to his gentle condescension toward us, which should move us to gratitude and humility, recognizing that his gentleness has made us anything and giving him the credit, so that we do well to trace whatever we are to God's gentle condescension and thank him for it.

Lord, in his great song of thanksgiving, David gives you the credit for all his strength and success, and one line stands out for its tenderness: your gentleness has made me great. God is my strong fortress, David sings; you have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness has made me great. Amid all the language of strength and victory, David pauses to trace his greatness not to your power alone, but to your gentleness, your condescension, your kindness in stooping to a lowly servant. It was your gentleness, your tender condescension toward David, that lifted him up and made him great. You work not only by power but by gentleness, stooping to lift up the lowly. Show me the striking line amid David's song of strength: your gentleness has made me great. David is recounting your acts on his behalf; but he traces his greatness not to your power alone, but to your gentleness. It was your gentleness, your tender condescension in stooping to notice, choose, care for, and lift up a lowly shepherd, that made David great. You did not have to stoop to David; but in your gentleness you did. This is a beautiful and often overlooked truth about how you deal with me. I might expect you to work only by power; and you do work powerfully. But you also work by gentleness, by tender condescension, stooping low to care for, lift up, and honor lowly people who had no claim on you. It is your gentleness, not only your power, that makes me what I am. Whatever I am, whatever good has come to me, I owe to your gentle condescension toward me. Take that to my heart, for it is your gentleness that has lifted me up and made me what I am. Move me to gratitude and humility, Lord; help me trace whatever I am to your gentle condescension toward me, your kindness in stooping to me, and give you the credit and thanks, for your gentleness has made me great.