God has saved us from our enemies

"For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those that hated us. In God we boast all day long, and praise Your name forever." Psalm 44:6-8.

I will not trust in my bow - The word 'trust' in the Hebrew means to be bold, confident, secure or sure. The warrior was familiar with his weapons. He had practiced with the bow, until his arrow could hit the mark every time. When he rode into battle he was confident that his skill with the bow could save his life. The psalmist, though skilled in the use of the bow, says he cannot trust in this weapon.

Nor shall my sword save me - The warrior had trained tirelessly in sword-fighting. The sword was used in close one-on-one combat. When the archers had shot the arrows, and the opposing forces drew closer together, the battle shifted to hand combat with the sword. When I was little I believed a sword was so sharp it could cut through the trunk of a tree with one swipe. Reality sets in and I learned that swords were not used to fell trees. Though very sharp, swords were limited in their ability to cut. The psalmist states that his sword will not save him.

But You have saved us - The psalmist acknowledges that the bow and sword, his own life-saving devices, cannot save him. No matter how skilled he may be in their use, he states that his weapons cannot save him in battle. It is God who saves. The writer uses the words "have saved" to indicate that the battle is over and God has won the victory on his behalf.

from our enemies - Enemies are not only those we face on the battlefield in a real-war situation. Enemies can be of the spiritual kind also - after all, we fight in a spiritual battle on a day-to-day basis, don't we? Our enemy, the devil, assails us with doubt, discouragement, fear, unbelief. These are our enemies. In this battle we cannot trust our own life-saving devices. It takes faith to throw down our weapons and trust in a higher Power than ourselves.

and have put to shame those that hated us - Consider the following picture: you are engaged in battle and find yourself cornered, and your enemies closing in. You have your back to the rock face of the canyon. The situation looks hopeless. Then God's hand reaches down and draws you up, away from those who seek your life. They are powerless to harm you; they have been put to shame - and you are now safe. This is what it means to be saved from our enemies.

May you experience God's hand of rescue today. May you boast of God's goodness both during the battle and at the battle's end.