541_With God we shall do valiantly

Psalm 108 My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!
2 Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
3 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4 For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
6 That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer me!

7 God has promised in his holiness:
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
12 Oh grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
13 With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.

When the modern state of Israel was born in May 1948, it was hardly more than a fragile dream. The ink on the declaration of independence had barely dried when five neighboring Arab nations — Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq — declared war. Their combined armies and weaponry dwarfed Israel’s by every measure. The Jewish population then numbered barely 650,000 — less than one-tenth of the invading forces. They had no tanks, no air force to speak of, and not even enough rifles for every soldier. Many of their weapons were mismatched leftovers from World War II.

Military experts predicted that Israel would be wiped off the map in days. Yet David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister, stood before his people and said quietly, “We will not bow. We will not surrender. Our strength is not in numbers, but in the justice of our cause and in the God of our fathers.”

Against all logic, the fledgling nation fought back — village by village, hill by hill — and survived. Within a year, the war was over. Israel had not only survived but gained territory. The world called it a miracle. That first war of Israel’s modern history echoed the militant spirit of Psalm 108: “With God we shall do valiantly; it is He who will tread down our foes.”

This psalm reflects the hostility that ancient Israel faced from their neighbors, who were anxious to destroy them. It declares that God’s help will turn the tide for Israel when she fights in faith, even against huge odds. Interestingly, Psalm 108 is a composition drawn from two earlier psalms. The first half mirrors Psalm 57:7-11, and the second half reflects Psalm 60:5-12. Past songs forged in earlier deliverances were woven together in this new crisis. He kept calm, declaring, “The God who helped me before will help me again.”

Sometimes faith is not about learning something new, but remembering what is already true. The melodies of God’s past faithfulness become our strength in the present battle.

The psalm begins not with fear, but with worship. “My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make melody with all my being.” Notice that David’s circumstances haven’t changed but his heart is fixed. True worship is not a reaction to victory; it is the resolve to trust in the midst of uncertainty. Determined hearts are trained long before the testing comes. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who told King Nebuchadnezzar, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… but even if He does not, we will not bow,” David had already settled the question of whom he would trust.

David goes on to glorify God: “I will sing praises to you among the nations, for your steadfast love is higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” While others are trembling, David is declaring that God’s love towers above the chaos. God’s faithfulness stretches beyond what the eye can see.

For in praying, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth,” David showed where he was looking – at the glory of God who rules heaven and earth. When our eyes are fixed on God’s greatness, our problems no longer look so large. When he next petitions God, saying, “Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.” David recognizes that Israel’s only hope lies in divine intervention.

And here is David speaking by the Spirit of God as he says:
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah my scepter.”

God declares His absolute sovereignty over the land and its people. Every territory, every tribe, every enemy — all belong to Him. He is no minor or local deity but the Lord of the earth. He is no mortal human ruler – for he is God who reigns forever. David acknowledges that reality with awe. God uses the nations as He pleases — even their defiance serves His purposes. Nothing escapes His control.

And the psalm returns to the mundane: “Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?” David is Israel’s commander here, against Edom, the constant and relentless enemy. He openly confesses his dependence on God, without whose help leadership and courage mean nothing. In Israel’s history, strength and strategy failed at Ai because sin had driven away God’s favor. The greatest tragedy for God’s people is not defeat itself but the withdrawal of God’s presence.

When David prays, “Grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man,” it is a humbling admission. And this leads to the crescendo:
“With God we shall do valiantly; it is He who will tread down our foes.”

The phrase “with God” changes everything. It turns weakness into strength, fear into faith, despair into hope. The word valiantly doesn’t mean recklessly or arrogantly; it means courageously, with strength that comes from trust. David isn’t suggesting passivity — he still has to fight, to lead, to risk his life — but he knows that the final outcome depends not on the sword, but on the Lord.

The same truth echoed across millennia in 1948 when Israel, the newborn nation, faced annihilation. When the war ended, even their enemies admitted: something beyond human explanation had happened. “With God we shall do valiantly.”

That truth is not only for nations in crisis; it’s for every believer. Our enemies are not physical, to be destroyed by swords, tanks, and guns. Rather, we are beset by our wicked hearts that are brimful of ambition, greed, cruelty, addiction, cowardice, fear, doubt, and ungodly lusts. The battle is real, and the devil still seeks to destroy us. Yet we are not alone if God is with us. If we are on God’s side, he will be on our side to lead us into the freedom of his Spirit, the freedom of God’s love that sets aside all fear and teaches us to love in return.

Faith does not make life easier; it makes victory possible. God calls his people to move forward — to pray, to obey, to serve, to forgive, to stand firm — but it is his part to deliver us and glorify His name. In such a time, beset by enemies within and outside, let us begin as David did: with worship. Let us fix our hearts and lift our eyes. Let us declare His love and faithfulness. Then let us cry out for His help, confessing that human strength is vain without Him. And finally, let us move forward in faith, knowing that with God we shall do valiantly.

One day, we will look back, as David did, and realize that the battle was never ours to win. It was God who trod down our foes. Standing on the other side of the struggle, we will realize once again that the real triumph was not in overcoming people who opposed us, but within our own hearts. It is the victory of faith, courage, and steadfast trust in the God who never fails. For with God we shall do valiantly. God bless.