May 22, 2009
It Doesn’t Matter if You Win or Lose, It’s How He Plays the Game
Psalm 60
Marcus Toussaint
Central Truth
Victory and defeat come from the Lord.
Key Verse | Psalm 60:12
By God’s power we will conquer;
he will trample down our enemies.
(Psalm 60:12)
Psalm 60
He Will Tread Down Our Foes
To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam 1 60:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
1
O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
you have been angry; oh, restore us.
2
You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open;
repair its breaches, for it totters.
3
You have made your people see hard things;
you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
4
You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
that they may flee to it from the bow.
2
60:4
Or that it may be displayed because of truth
Selah
5
That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer us!
6
God has spoken in his holiness:
3
60:6
Or sanctuary
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
7
Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
8
Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
4
60:8
Revocalization (compare Psalm 108:10); Masoretic Text over me, O Philistia, shout in triumph
9
Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10
Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
11
Oh, grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
12
With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 60
When I was in middle school, I decided I wanted to join the basketball team the day before tryouts. Having never really played, I hoped that shooting hoops at Grandma’s house the night before would be enough for me to develop the skills to make it. It wasn’t. Whatever, I’m over it.
If you’ve ever felt like a failure, Psalm 60 is for you.
David gives us a great picture of what it looks like to face failure in light of God’s truth. This psalm was probably written during the events of 2 Samuel 8, which record King David’s conquests and exploits as an awesome warrior-poet in general. But apparently, it wasn’t that easy.
The first few verses give us insight into David’s feelings of frustration at his circumstances. In fact, some commentators say that verse 4 has a sarcastic tone as it describes how God raised "a rallying flag” (led the Israelites to war) only to “seek safety from the bow” (be straight-up defeated). But David didn't stay there.
He took a breather (“Selah”) and asked God to save him and his people. As he prayed, he remembered God’s love for him, God's promises, and His rule over all things (verses 6-8). Notice that David recognized that both defeat and victory come from the Lord. A prayer that began raw and frustrated at God ends with hope in what He can do with the broken in the midst of opposition.
The same is true for us today. God still oversees our failures and triumphs and is so good that He can be trusted to bring about what’s best in every situation. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than at the cross. The death of Jesus was an immediate and seemingly utter loss to those who were there. But Christ rose in the face of his enemies, “triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15).
God is not intimidated by your circumstances. Even your failures can and will be used for His purposes. Trust in the promises of Christ and don’t be afraid to be real with Him in prayer.
Discussion Questions
1. What are the failures/obstacles you have been facing recently?
2. How can you pray more authentically about what’s really going on in your life?
3. What are the promises of God toward you?
4. What implications do they have for how you face failure?