Psalm 18:29 “For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.
A troop! Wow... I can meet them head on ... little me ... one against ... a troop? Well, not exactly. The three words before the “I can run” make it all possible. “For by you” holds the key to the power of being able to perform such a feat. Without those three words, the outcome would be defeat or perhaps more accurate ... slaughter!
Matthew 20:26b “... but with God, all things are possible.” Luke 18:27 “But he said, ‘what is impossible with men is possible with God.’”
I guess the question we need to ask ourselves is, ‘with whose strength are we fighting our battles?’ And that little word ‘run’ is significant. Among the definitions given are: ‘to go without restraint, to go rapidly or hurriedly, hasten, rush.’
Now, I believe I can safely say that not one of us is guilt-free of never having run ahead of our Lord in handling matters our own way AND in our timing and strength. More often than not, under such conditions, things did not turn out anywhere near close to what we figured it would. Not to mention the Lord received no glory or honor from it. At those times, can we honestly say we ‘won’ against that which we fought? Then there ARE those times - hopefully more often than not - when ‘by’ our God we not only meet our problems, situations AND the enemy of our souls head on, but we do it all in His power, might and strength. Different outcome!
But how about that leaping over a wall business? Is that a literal, physical ‘wall’ here of which the Word is speaking? I suppose it could be. However, is it not possible that this ‘wall’ is more representative of the oppositions and resistances in life that challenge and attempt to block us from embracing and following our Lord’s will completely with no reservations? Those walls which - if not ‘leaped over’ - prevent us from embracing and living out the fullness of the life our Heavenly Father has planned for us. Jeremiah 29:11a makes it clear that HE has a plan specifically tailor made for our life: “For I know the plans I have for you...”
If we do not ‘leap’ over the walls in life - by His strength - we will never live out that plan for us as He has designed. Verse 30a says, “This God - his way is perfect,” - so, do we actually think that WE can improve upon His perfection? What silly and foolish finites we sometimes prove ourselves to be.
Let us not retreat from the ‘walls’ (barriers) in our lives that block our path to a close and deeper faith-walk with our God but remember Psalm 138:3, “On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.” And with that ‘increase,’ we can run against a ‘troop’ and scale any wall that would hinder our living out the ‘perfect’ plan He has for each of us.
Are YOU facing any troops or walls today? Try running and leaping ‘by’ our God!
