Read Psalm 108:5-13 5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! 6That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer me! 7God has promised in his holiness: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth. 8Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. 9Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.” 10Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 11Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies. 12Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! 13With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.
There are two extremes that every Christian (every person really) must learn to avoid in life. The first is trying to live life apart from God. Or worse yet, living a life that uses God as some sort of good luck charm, much like the Israelites did when they marched into battle against the Philistines with the Ark of the Covenant, but without faith in their covenant God – You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
The other extreme we might fall into is living life with so much “faith in God,” that we fail to do anything. God’s got this. So no need to listen to his call, act courageously, or follow through.
But notice the glory of the last verse (and today’s title) – With God we shall do valiantly. We shall DO. Yes, often our faith is a passive faith. Our doing is simply believing. But often our faith is meant to be active. We shall DO valiantly, courageously.
There is no courage in “letting go and letting God.” But there is courage in our union with Christ. Being in Christ means he has already done it all – it is he who will tread down our foes – praise God. But Christ in you means we will do it with him – with God we shall do valiantly.
To live is Christ never moves without God, and it refuses to stand still when God is on the move.
You: Which extreme do you tend to fall into? Doing everything without real faith, or so much “faith” that you don’t do anything?
You in Christ: How does knowing that God has already done it all allow you to courageously join him in what he is actively doing?
Christ in you: Where in your life do you need to DO valiantly, by Christ in you?
Pray: Father, what are you doing? I want to do it with you, valiantly by my union with Christ. Amen.
To Live is Christ 