The Third Sunday in Lent (Ps) March 11th

Psalm 18:25-50
25 With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26 with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27 For you save a humble people,
but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28 For it is you who light my lamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29 For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who equipped me with strength
and made my way blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your gentleness made me great.
36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
I cast them out like the mire of the streets.
43 You delivered me from strife with the people;
you made me the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.
44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
foreigners came cringing to me.
45 Foreigners lost heart
and came trembling out of their fortresses.
46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeance
and subdued peoples under me,
48 who delivered me from my enemies;
yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
you rescued me from the man of violence.
49 For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing to your name.
50 Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever.
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Ps 18:25-50). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

I could not imagine having the power or strength to pull back a bow of bronze. But the Lord has given him strength to fight. The Lord has made him a soldier ready for battle. The Lord is our sure foundation and strength. He is the one who allows us to stand.

The Lord is our strength. Often times we end up praying to Lord to destroy our enemies, but do not put our trust in the Lord. We like to look at politicians that are attacking one another and say the other guy is so much worse than we are. God knows where your heart is. God is the one who has made you and given you strength.

The might of the soldier is not found in his own strength, but it is the Lord that lifts them over walls and through the trenches. The Lord is the one who gives us the adrenaline when we need it. It is the LORD who gives me my solid foundation. He has given me strength beyond my imagination.

God has the power to kill and to make alive. He is the one who gives us strength and light when all else fails. Jesus Christ has given us the power to live. He is the one who was sacrificed to win the greatest military battle ever. He has defeated our enemy and delivered us from bondage to Satan and Sin. God is our champion.