Psalm 108: 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 O grant us help against the foe, for human help is worthless. ¹³ With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes. 

Yesterday I wrote about the first verses of this chapter in which David, on the night before battle, spent the entire night in praise of God. Not huddling with his military commanders, not reviewing the battle plan, but worshipping the Lord in the temple. In our verses for today we get a better sense of why the urgency of worship for David.

“You do not go out, O God, with our armies…”

Israel often went into battle outnumbered and even outgunned, yet with the blessing of God they emerged victorious despite the odds. David had seen this happen over and over in his lifetime. So when battle went poorly for Israel, David inquired of the Lord as to why. Was it something David, or the nation of Israel, had done wrong in the eyes of God? Was there some other reason?

While I don’t believe that every kind of trouble in life is a result of God’s punishment for sin, scripture is clear that God the Father will bring discipline to the children he loves. When in doubt, confession/repentance is always an appropriately humble response to our difficult reality.

Lord bring us back into your fold when we stray. Amen.