Psalm 144

David is staring at a completely different if-then system than he was in Psalm 143. In the last psalm, David was focusing on his "ifs" and God's "thens." In this psalm, the overall structure is that of God's "ifs" and David's "thens." If God provides the victory, then the response will be praise to God and peace to God's people. And the psalm ends with a blessing.

Let's take a look at this psalm with a Jesus-shaped magnifying glass. David wonders why God would care about the insignificant human beings, when there is a swirling creation that seems to last longer. This question is even more valid when one considers what we know about the universe now compared to then. God never really answers this question, as the love of God is beyond our comprehension; we just know that God loves us out of God's very character. What God might respond with is "I love the world this way- I sent my one and only Son, so that whoever may believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life." Maybe.

And that leads to the next part of the psalm- David asks for God to appear and to slay his opponents. In a Jesus-shaped answer to this psalm, Jesus does precisely that. Jesus rides in a donkey and goes toe-to-toe with death, conquering it in resurrection. The victory is ours!

And now what about the response? Now the responsibility is back on God's people- i.e. us.

Is my life a lifestyle of worship? Do I declare with my thoughts, words and actions that God's love shown best in Jesus won? Is the theme of my life story that our deliverer has come and is coming? Maybe, sometimes, but I'm getting there.

Also, is my life a reflection of peace that comes with victory? Does my life reflect the kind of peace that God is all about? My life is comfortable. The buzzing AC unit, the comfy chair, the iPhone, the new clothes, all reek of comfort. And they can all be put to good use, too- I am not anti-stuff (completely). However, am I willing to risk comfort for the greater peace of knowing that I am doing God's work? Sometimes, maybe, but I'm getting there.

Let's get there together.