460_Our real strength Psalm 28 To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary. 3 Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts. 4 Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward. 5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more. 6 Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. 7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. 8 The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. 9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever. During World War II, a small town in France was under constant threat of bombing. Among the many terrified citizens was an old woman who calmly went about her daily routines — sweeping her front porch, humming old hymns, and offering help to anyone in need. One day, a group of soldiers passing by asked her, “Aren’t you afraid, madam? How are you so calm when everyone else is in panic?” She looked at them kindly and said, “I made peace with God a long time ago. I sleep each night knowing He is my strength and shield. I cannot stop the bombs, but I know who holds the skies.” That quiet confidence—anchored not in circumstance but in Someone greater—is at the heart of Psalm 28. In this deeply personal psalm, David reminds us where our real strength lies. It is not in armies, strategies, or sheer willpower. It is in God Himself—our rock, our shield, our refuge. The psalm opens with a passionate plea from David, a cry that reveals not only his desperation but also his dependency. He says in verse 2: “Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.” These are not casual prayers. They are the groans of a heart in a time of calamity, a heart that knows only God can save. David knows what it means to be surrounded by enemies, misunderstood by people, and threatened by betrayal. But he also knows that the One who dwells in the holy sanctuary is listening. In the following verses, David pleads not to be counted among the wicked. For their condition is dangerous—not just outwardly, but inwardly. The duplicity of the wicked—their