Bring honor to God’s Name

For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life!

In your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble! (Ps.143:11)

Why do I want to win my battles? Why do I want to overcome fear? Why do I want to parent my children well? Why do I want to see justice in legal battles? Why do I want righteousness laws in our country? Why do I want to win an argument and silence my adversaries? Is it for me? Is it for God’s honor? Is it both? Who gets the credit for a battle won? These are tough questions that I have asked myself many, many times. David has someone else in view when he cries out, “Preserve my life!”, “Bring my soul out of trouble!” He is asking for help for his own sake for sure, but he wants his victories to showcase his God. In the preservation of David’s life, God is revealed as healer, protector, deliverer, compassionate. In bringing David’s soul out of trouble, God is revealed as righteous, truthful, merciful, forgiving. 

In training our hands for war and our fingers for battle, under whose banner do we serve? Is it the banner of pride that says, “I am right and you are wrong” or that says, “ I am the winner”? Is it the banner of comfort that says,” Everyone likes me and everything is to my liking”? Is it the banner of self that exalts my determination, my wisdom, my courage, even my self-righteous ability to be a “good” Christian? 

How much sweeter to vindicate God’s magnificent name. As God shows up, we get to boast in Him. I recall a time long ago, we were traveling with 4 of our 6 children who were between the ages of 7 and 2. We had stopped at a rest area to give everyone time to get out of the car and a passerby commented favorably on the behavior of our children. “How do you get them to behave so well?”, she asked. Well I went off and described my approaches to discipline, blah, blah, blah. She left and I felt sick. I had not once acknowledged how the Lord had fought for me, with me, for them. I had not mentioned how often I had come crying to him and he heard my cries and helped me. I purposed in my heart after that repulsive experience of waving the ugly banner of self-sufficiency, that I would run under the banner of his name and boast in him. 

David concludes Ps.143 with these words, “I am your servant.”  As his servant, David’s deepest desire was to bring honor and glory to his God. Under whose banner do you serve?