HANDS TRAINED FOR VICTORY (1)

“HE TEACHES MY HANDS to make WAR, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze” – Psalm 18:34

Beyond endowment with talents and skills, God can make ours, impactful HANDS TRAINED for VICTORY: “HE TEACHES MY HANDS to MAKE WAR, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze” (Psa.18:34). The Lord God “is a Man of war” (Exo.15:3). He trains the hands of His saints to prevail valiantly in war. Psalm 18 was the testimony of King David, who fought and conquered in both physical and spiritual battles. In similar vein, the arena of spiritual warfare is not alien to the Believer in Christ (Eph.6: 10-12)! Life in Christ isn’t always a warm and tranquil experience. More often than not, we find ourselves in spiritual battles. It's easy to feel vulnerable and exposed at such times. We must remember however; we are not fighting these battles in our own strength. God offers strength, safety, and security for His people.

Psalm 18 is Great Praise from a Place of Great Victory. The psalm is virtually the same as one sung by David at the very end of his life, as recorded in 2 Samuel 22. David praised the God of his majestic deliverance, having been set free from the pangs and snares of death, floods of ungodliness, and confrontations by strong enemies. David then shifted from joyful thanks for the past, to confidence in the future. He affirmed that God would give His Light and His Word to empower him: “For You will light my lamp; the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness” (v.28). The same God who brought him to the throne would give him the light the needed to rule and enlighten his darkness. That’s where the teaching and training for warfare began: “For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall” (v.29).

David was thankfully testifying of past victories and present strength. One might think that after about two decades of living as a fugitive from Saul, David would simply be exhausted and complaining. This was not the case. He viewed all of those challenges as God’s means of teaching and training his “hands to make war”! By divine empowerment, he felt strong enough to accomplish phenomenal feats. Faith does not diminish difficulties or erase trials. Rather, faith increases our strength to endure great trials, overcome challenges, break through the armed troops of enemy forces, scale the walls of fortified cities, forge ahead to do great exploits, and obtain triumphant victories.

David sang about the ways God helped him make war. His testimonies of triumph could be traced to the fact that God gave him strength and skill – trained his hands to make war! David celebrated the reality of the God of Israel against the illusions of the heathens’ idols: “For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?” (v.31). He knew by experience the STRENGTH of God given to him, and the SKILL to use such strength: “It is God who ARMS ME with STRENGTH, and makes my way perfect” (v.32). He compared this skill to that of the deer, who could run effortlessly on mountains: “He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and set me on my high places” (v.33). The deer has phenomenal strength, determination, and ability to surmount obstacles with grace – with a mix of gentleness and vigilance.

As a warrior, David knew God as the One who helped him make war triumphantly. He trains our hands by His own very HAND, bringing greatness out of gentleness: “Your RIGHT HAND has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great” (v.35b). Ultimately, God gave David incontrovertible Victory over all his enemies (vv.37-42). As God gave him strength and skill, He will give us all that we need to be victorious in the battles of life. Whatever battles we may face in life, God will arm us with Strength (v.39). The Lord will put His Strength in us and train our hands to make war and win in the powerful name of Jesus! He will train our hands for undisputable Triumph and Victory!