Psalm 108: ¹ My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! ² Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. ³ I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. 

This is one of my favorite psalms, which is attributed to King David on the night before a battle. It reflects the king who, rather than spending the night consulting with his generals or political advisors, is instead found in the temple worshipping the Lord – all night long. I’m particularly fond of “I will awake the dawn”. It’s the idea that David’s worship is so vigorous that he wakes the sun from its slumber by the shouts of his praise to God. I love that!

Mostly I appreciate David’s clear understanding of where the burden for the outcome of the battle actually lies. David and his commanders and soldiers certainly have a role to play, but the outcome is ultimately in the hands of God alone. This was true when David fought Goliath as a boy. It was true when he fled from King Saul who sought to kill him before David became king. And it is true now.

Too often I live as if the outcomes are up to me alone. I feel the pressure of that, the stress of that, the anxiety of thinking it’s all up to me. David reminds me just how wrong I am. My life, my family, my church are all in the hands of God. Lord remind us today who actually rules this world. It isn’t me or any of those reading this blog post. It is you and you alone. For this we give you thanks. Amen.