Psalms 144:1

Psalms 144;1 says, A Psalm of David.  This is identified as a psalm of David, then verse one says, Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:  As king, David was known as a great fighting man, but he gave God credit for his success.  We need to give God the credit for all our victories over sin today, since it is by His power that we are successful.  Verse two adds, My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.  Like David, God should be our goodness, fortress, high tower and shield, because as Christians He is our Deliverer from power of death and and sin.  We must therefore put our trust in Him.  Verse three declares, LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!  David asked what man was that God would make note of him.  The only real value we have as people is the value that God gives us.  We are God's creation, and He could just totally destroy us because of our sinful thoughts and actions, but He chooses to redeem us instead.  Verse four adds, Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.  David said people were like a vanity, or nothing compared to God, who soon passed away physically.  Still, our soul lives on forever, and we are of such great value to God that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place.  We only have to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord in order to claim everlasting life with God instead of being  separated from Him in hell.  Verse five states, Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.  David asked God to come down from the heavens and give him victory in his battles.  We do not have to ask God to come down from the heavens to help us, because the Holy Spirit indwells us as Christians.  Verse six adds, Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.  David asked God to use His power to destroy his enemies, but I believe our prayer today should be that God would save our enemies through their turning to Him for salvation.  Verse seven continues, Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;  David asked God to deliver him from the hand of strangers.  I believe these would be people who are strangers both to David and to God.  Verse eight concludes, Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.  David said that those who fought against him spoke lies about both God and David, and that their strength was based on lies.  No matter how powerful those who fight against God and His people, those who put their faith in Jesus Christ, may be today, their strength is based on a lie that they are more powerful than God.