Psalms 18:33-50: a reflection

33He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places. 34He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. 35You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great. 36You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped. 37I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed. 38I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet. 39For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 40You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. 41They cried, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them. 42Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets. 43You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me. 44As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me. 45The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds. 46The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation, 47even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me. 48He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man. 49Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name. 50He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.

As David gives thanks for God's deliverance, he traces to God all that equipped and strengthened him for what he faced: God made his feet sure, sustained him, and armed him with strength. He makes my feet like deer's feet, David sings, and sets me on my high places. You have armed me with strength for the battle. Your right hand sustains me. David does not credit his own ability for standing and prevailing in what he faced; he traces it all to God, who gave him sure feet to stand on difficult heights, taught and strengthened his hands, sustained him, and armed him with strength for the battle. God equipped him for what he had to face. This shows that God equips and strengthens us for what we face. God equips and strengthens you for what you face. What steadies and strengthens you comes from God, not yourself. God gives sure footing and strength for the challenge before you. Trace your ability to stand and prevail to the God who equips you.

Notice how David describes God's equipping. He was facing hard things, challenges that required strength, steadiness, and skill beyond his own. And he traces the equipping to God: God made his feet like a deer's, sure and swift, able to stand on the high, difficult places without slipping; God sustained him, held him up, gave him strength for the battle. David does not boast of his own prowess; he sees that whatever steadied and strengthened him for what he faced came from God. This holds encouragement for us in what we face. We too face challenges that seem to require more than we have: strength we lack, steadiness we cannot muster, ability beyond us. And we can be tempted either to rely wholly on our own resources, or to be paralyzed by our insufficiency. But David's testimony points to a better trust: that God equips and strengthens his own for what they face. God can make our feet sure where we would slip, sustain us where we would fall, and arm us with strength for what is beyond us. What steadies and strengthens us for our challenges need not come from our own insufficient resources; it can come from God, who equips his own. We do well to look to God to equip and strengthen us for what we face, tracing our ability to stand and prevail to him. Look to God to equip and strengthen you for what you face. What steadies and strengthens you can come from God, not your own resources. God can make your feet sure where you would slip, and arm you with strength. Trace your standing and prevailing to the God who equips you.

That is worth taking to heart, for God equips and strengthens us for what we face, and we do well to look to him and trace our standing to him, as David traced his to God. We can rely on our own insufficient resources or be paralyzed by our lack; but David traced his sure feet, his strength, and his sustaining to God who equipped him. God equips. When you face what seems beyond you, do not rely only on your own resources or despair of your lack; look to God, who equips and strengthens his own for what they face. Look to God to equip and strengthen you for what you face, tracing your ability to stand and prevail to him rather than to your own resources, as David, giving thanks for God's deliverance, traced to God all that equipped and strengthened him, singing that God made his feet like deer's feet and set him on his high places, armed him with strength for the battle, and sustained him with his right hand; for David did not credit his own ability for standing and prevailing in what he faced but traced it all to God who gave him sure feet to stand on difficult heights, strengthened his hands, sustained him, and armed him with strength, so that God equipped him for what he had to face, which holds encouragement for us in what we face, since we too face challenges that seem to require more than we have, strength we lack and steadiness we cannot muster, and can be tempted either to rely wholly on our own resources or to be paralyzed by our insufficiency, but David's testimony points to a better trust, that God equips and strengthens his own for what they face and can make our feet sure where we would slip, sustain us where we would fall, and arm us with strength for what is beyond us, so that what steadies and strengthens us for our challenges need not come from our own insufficient resources but from God, and we do well to look to him to equip and strengthen us.

Lord, as David gives thanks for your deliverance, he traces to you all that equipped and strengthened him for what he faced: you made his feet sure, sustained him, and armed him with strength. He makes my feet like deer's feet, David sings, and sets me on my high places. You have armed me with strength for the battle. Your right hand sustains me. David does not credit his own ability for standing and prevailing in what he faced; he traces it all to you, who gave him sure feet to stand on difficult heights, strengthened his hands, sustained him, and armed him with strength for the battle. You equipped him for what he had to face. Show me how David describes your equipping. He was facing hard things, challenges that required strength, steadiness, and skill beyond his own. And he traces the equipping to you: you made his feet sure, able to stand on the high, difficult places without slipping; you sustained him, held him up, gave him strength for the battle. David does not boast of his own prowess; he sees that whatever steadied and strengthened him came from you. This holds encouragement for me in what I face. I too face challenges that seem to require more than I have: strength I lack, steadiness I cannot muster, ability beyond me. And I can be tempted either to rely wholly on my own resources, or to be paralyzed by my insufficiency. But David's testimony points to a better trust: that you equip and strengthen your own for what they face. You can make my feet sure where I would slip, sustain me where I would fall, and arm me with strength for what is beyond me. Take that to my heart. When I face what seems beyond me, keep me from relying only on my own resources or despairing of my lack; help me look to you, Lord, who equip and strengthen your own, to make my feet sure where I would slip and arm me with strength, and to trace my standing and prevailing to you who equip me.