NOVEMBER 16, 2023
“Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” (Psalm 28:6-7)
This psalm is entitled “A Psalm of David,” and there is no doubting the correctness of this description.But, as in some of the previous psalms, neither the title nor the contents indicate the timing of the composition. It would seem that the psalm was composed when its author was under some powerful temptation from the wicked or when there were strong allurements offered by people who intended to lead him into the society of those who were strangers to God and, under this temptation, he urges this earnest prayer and seeks to bring before his mind considerations of why he should not yield to these influences.
The psalm is exceptionally applicable to those in danger of being led away by the acts of the ungodly; people who are under strong temptations to be associated with the worldly and mingle in mortal pleasures, as many of us are. They who, before their conversion, were the companions of the ungodly were devoted to guilty pleasures but have been rescued from them in Jesus Christ. This psalm was written for people who feel the power of those habits returning upon them. They have been invited by their former “friends” to partake once again. They are in the condition contemplated in the psalm and will find its sentiments appropriate to their experience. Today’s verses provide a sense of relief or a feeling that God answers prayers and that they are safe from this feeling of danger.
Verse 6 is one of those passages frequently occurring in the Psalms where an earnest and anxious prayer has been offered to God, and the answer to that prayer seems to be immediate. The nervous and troubled pleader’s mind becomes calm, and God’s promises are brought directly to their soul. The peace which was sought is then obtained and the man who opened the psalm with a deep anxiety and a troubled mind rejoices at the close of it in the evidence of the Divine favour and love. The troubled spirit becomes calm and the heart is made peaceful, feeling assurance that all will be well. It is sufficient for us to think that God hears us; if this is so, we are assured that all is right.
God is the source of David’s power and protection. David rejoices in the Lord and sings praise to Him because the Lord is the source of his power and protection, his strength and shield. As a seasoned warrior, David recognizes that the Lord enables him to be strong in the face of his enemy’s oppression. A shield not only provides a warrior with physical protection – it also serves to boost the warrior’s confidence. Experienced believers often recall many occasions when the Lord strengthened and protected them. Each victory brings an opportunity to rejoice and be thankful.
Isaiah refers to the Lord as providing power to His people. He writes in Isaiah 40 that the Lord does not faint nor grow weary. He empowers the faint and gives strength to those who have none. Those who wait on the Lord will receive new strength. They will soar like eagles, run without tiring, and walk without fainting.
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