Psalm 9: Forever Convinced of the Presence and Protection of God
As I am writing this, my family and I are preparing to head toward one of our favorite destinations: the beach! It’s just a few days past one year after our last drive on the exact same road, heading toward the exact same destination. My hope and very sincere prayer is that the drive this year is drastically different than last year.
A few hours into our journey last year, a car spun out in front of us on the highway. My husband deftly handled the car and brakes and stopped just short of the vehicle in front of us. However, the driver behind us wasn’t as attentive to his surroundings, and he slammed into the back of our minivan.
No one was hurt, but our car was totaled. A couple hours later, slightly traumatized and in a rented vehicle, we were back on our way—fully aware of and overwhelmed by God’s presence and protection. It could have been so much worse.
I’m not saying that as an obligatory Christian response to a tough situation. I have never been more aware of God’s protection than I was in those few moments—from the split second in which the driver in front of us spun out and his shocked eyes met mine through the window, to the screeching of our tires as my husband took action, and, finally, to the jolt from the impact of the car behind us just as we came to a stop, thinking we had made it through unscathed. I’m forever convinced God kept us safe.
Forever Convinced of the Presence and Protection of God
In our Psalm for this week, Psalm 9, that is what I see in David’s words—that he is forever convinced God has kept him safe. That God had been, is, and would forever be his refuge in times of trouble. This realization is what brings him to proclaim at the very beginning, “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds” (Psalm 9:1).
About midway through the Psalm, David makes a bold claim about God. A claim that is encouraging to us even now, thousands of years later:
“The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you” (v.9-10).
These words are not fluff. He is not saying this because it sounds good, or because it seems like the right thing to say about God. No, David is declaring this based on experience. He has been the oppressed—crushed and downtrodden—and he has been in quite a few times of trouble.
For years, King Saul pursued him with death in his eyes, violence in his veins. David fled for his life on multiple occasions, literally hiding in the cliffs for refuge. David valiantly fought armies and nations, trusting God to bring victory. He knew a thing or two about trouble.
And through it all, God was with him, protecting him, shielding him, providing refuge and safety. He had never been forsaken by God. He KNEW God’s name—His reputation, who He was—and that is what enabled him to continually trust in Him. He had continually experienced God’s faithfulness.
All that David endured adds weight to his words about God. He is living proof that God is, in fact, our stronghold, our refuge in times of trouble.
Think about people in your life who have been to these places with God, who have been through the valleys of life, and are standing on the other side proclaiming the goodness and faithfulness of God. Knowing what they have gone through—knowing their struggles and pain—and witnessing their perseverance and continued faith in God speaks volumes more than hearing the same words from someone who hasn’t experienced it first hand. Don’t you think?
That’s what this Psalm is. This is David boldly proclaiming the reliability and faithfulness of God as someone who has been to the depths of despair and back. He KNOWS God is faithful. He KNOWS God is his refuge, because he has lived it.
And his response? Giving thanks to the Lord with his WHOLE HEART—all of who he is, all of his life, everything he has. He is committed to living his life openly, declaring all that God has done for him.
Just like David, I’m having to put my trust in God into action as we make our way toward the beach. I know God is with us, watching over us. I know God protects us and provides refuge when we need it. And because of that, I’m ever thankful!
My prayer as I read through this Psalm is exactly David’s words from the first verse. I want to live my life giving thanks to the Lord with my WHOLE HEART, always ready and willing to proclaim the goodness of God!
Friend, there is so much more to dig out of this Psalm. So much more to discover of God and His faithfulness. Don’t stop here.
DIG DEEPER:
Psalm 46
Psalm 91
Jeremiah 29:13-14
Psalm 10 (Actually Psalm 9 + 10 may have originally been one Psalm. Together they form an acrostic pattern, each stanza begins with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.)
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