BLESSED ARE THE PEOPLE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD

Passage: Psalms 144:1-15

Key verse: 144:16

NIV

Psalm 144
Of David.

1 Praise be to the Lord my Rock,(A)
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
2 He is my loving God and my fortress,(B)
    my stronghold(C) and my deliverer,
my shield,(D) in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples[a](E) under me.

3 Lord, what are human beings(F) that you care for them,
    mere mortals that you think of them?
4 They are like a breath;(G)
    their days are like a fleeting shadow.(H)

5 Part your heavens,(I) Lord, and come down;(J)
    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.(K)
6 Send forth lightning(L) and scatter(M) the enemy;
    shoot your arrows(N) and rout them.
7 Reach down your hand from on high;(O)
    deliver me and rescue me(P)
from the mighty waters,(Q)
    from the hands of foreigners(R)
8 whose mouths are full of lies,(S)
    whose right hands(T) are deceitful.(U)

9 I will sing a new song(V) to you, my God;
    on the ten-stringed lyre(W) I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,(X)
    who delivers his servant David.(Y)

From the deadly sword(Z) 11 deliver me;
    rescue me(AA) from the hands of foreigners(AB)
whose mouths are full of lies,(AC)
    whose right hands are deceitful.(AD)

12 Then our sons in their youth
    will be like well-nurtured plants,(AE)
and our daughters will be like pillars(AF)
    carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled(AG)
    with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields;
14     our oxen(AH) will draw heavy loads.[b]
There will be no breaching of walls,(AI)
    no going into captivity,
    no cry of distress in our streets.(AJ)
15 Blessed is the people(AK) of whom this is true;
    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
  2. Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

My Rock and My Fortress

Of David.

144 Blessed be the Lord, my (A)rock,
    (B)who trains my hands for war,
    and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my (C)steadfast love and my (D)fortress,
    my (E)stronghold and my deliverer,
my (F)shield and he in whom I take refuge,
    who (G)subdues peoples[a] under me.

3 O Lord, (H)what is man that you (I)regard him,
    or the son of man that you think of him?
4 (J)Man is like a breath;
    his days are like (K)a passing (L)shadow.

5 (M)Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
    (N)Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 (O)Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
    (P)send out your arrows and rout them!
7 (Q)Stretch out your hand from on high;
    (R)rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
    from the hand (S)of foreigners,
8 whose mouths speak (T)lies
    and whose right hand is (U)a right hand of falsehood.

9 I will sing (V)a new song to you, O God;
    upon (W)a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 who gives victory to kings,
    who (X)rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
    from the hand (Y)of foreigners,
whose mouths speak (Z)lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 May our sons in their youth
    be like (AA)plants full grown,
our daughters like (AB)corner pillars
    cut for the structure of a palace;
13 (AC)may our granaries be full,
    (AD)providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
    and ten thousands in our fields;
14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
    suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;[b]
may there be no (AE)cry of distress in our streets!
15 (AF)Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
    (AG)Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 144:2 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Dead Sea Scroll, Jerome, Syriac, Aquila; most Hebrew manuscripts subdues my people
  2. Psalm 144:14 Hebrew with no breaking in or going out
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

First, praise the Lord my Rock (1-11). Man's life on the earth is tenuous and uncertain--like a fleeting shadow. But God is eternal. How amazing it is that he should love us and care for us! He trains us to fight the enemy Satan, and then protects us and gives victory--even though Satan is full of lies and deceit. Second, God's blessings (12-15). When God blesses our lives, we are truly blessed. When our children become faithful men and women, our material needs are met, our sheep increase by thousands and ten thousands and we live in the security of God's protection, it is because of the blessing of the Lord. The Lord sometimes gives dry, difficult, and seemingly fruitless times to train us in faith, but he is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, train my hands for battle, so that I may fight the enemies within and those without. Help me to live as one of your people.

One Word: Blessed is the one whose God is the Lord