God our Trainer

Psalms 144:1-2 (NIV)
1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
2 He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

The passage above is a call to surrender, a call of total dependence upon God.  First David proclaimed that the Lord was his Rock.  The Hebrew word referred to either a cliff or a sharp rock protruding from a mountainside, or a rock or boulder.  Not a stone, or a pebble, or a rock that anyone could carry.  This was a strong, steadfast and reliable rock.  That's who our God is.

He is a fortress, a stronghold.  In another psalm David said:

Psalms 18:2 (NIV)
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

Our God is meant to be a refuge, Someone we run to, where we hide in.  That's who God is, who He wants to be in our life.  The world teaches us to believe in ourself, to rely on ourself, our own strength.  For some people it is a shame to be relying on anyone but ourself.  But not with God.  God wants us looking to Him, looking at Him as a refuge.  And why not, for He is a strong refuge, reliable, unbreakable!  David proclaimed that God was his deliverer, his shield.  Everything David needed God was it.  His total dependence was on God.

But take a look at verse 1 again:  "Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle."

Yes, God is our refuge, and we are to hide in Him, depend on Him.  But He also TRAINS.  Hiding in God does not mean that we just sit down and do nothing.  There is a battle to fight, and taking refuge in God does not mean that we are exempted from it!  In fact, when we take refuge in our Rock, our fortress and stronghold it is there that He trains us to face whatever it is we are facing!

As we hide in God, resting in His presence, meditating on His promises, it is there that God strengthens us, inspires us to continue through the storm.  It is there that He assures our hearts that He is with us always.  Everything we need our God will provide - as we take refuge in Him.

And His training is extensive!  Look at how He trains us - "who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle".  David being a warrior knew that it wasn't only specific areas of his body that needed training, but every area - even his fingers!  The muscles in his fingers needed to be strong enough to be able to grip his sword firmly through every swing, every attack, to ensure victory.  And his fingers needed to be strong enough to last the whole battle!

As we take refuge in God as our Rock, fortress and stronghold He promises to equip us with everything that we need - everything, for the daily battles that we face.  Peter knew this, and wrote:

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 

Everything we need.  David knew even his fingers God would strengthen.  We also need to know and believe that every thing we need, in every area of our life, both spiritual and physical, our Lord will take care of it.