Have you ever come up with the perfect plan only to watch your plans get frustrated? In Psalm 60, David’s plans were going well: “And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went” (see 2 Sam 8:1-14). Yet surprisingly, Psalm 60 speaks of Israel’s defeat as David’s plans get frustrated.
Maybe that’s you as well: You had plans to make money, get married, have kids, or buy a house. You had plans for ministry, or business, or retirement. You had plenty of plans until all your plans went out the window. David’s lament in Psalm 60 offers us three principles when life doesn’t go according to plan.
Trust God’s Sovereignty (vv. 1-4)
David first brings his concern before the sovereign God of Israel, for God is always in control. Seven verbs in quick succession reveal God to be the source of Israel’s devastation: You rejected us; You broke our defenses; You have been angry; You caused the land to quake; You tore open the city walls; You made your people see things hard to bear; You gave us the cup of wrath until we staggered around like drunkards (vv. 1-3). Yet since God ultimately sovereign over everything that happens in life, he is never taken by surprise. He governs both the good and the bad (Isa 45:7). Thus, the existence of our suffering is no reason to doubt God’s sovereignty. We may not know God’s purposes in every trial, but we know he has a plan that is higher than ours (Prov 19:21).
Despite God’s judgment, David prays to the Lord for healing and restoration (Ps 60:1-2). In the throes of God’s wrath, he cries out to the only One who can offer help. He doesn’t blame his Maker and Sustainer, for he knows that God is faithful even when God’s people are not (2 Tim 2:13).[1] Instead, he calls for God to rally his people under a banner of truth, so they can re-group with faith and re-enter the fray (v. 4). Instead of complaining about God’s sovereign discipline, the psalmist calls on God to pour out sovereign grace.
We see the greatest picture of God’s sovereign love at the cross of Jesus Christ, for the greatest tragedy in human history was the death of God’s own Son. All the disciples thought that Jesus dying on the cross was a horrible idea and Peter even tried to stop it (Matt 16:21-23). Yet only through the sufferings of Christ, could God bring about salvation. His death stood in place of ours. His sacrifice paid the price that we deserved. Thus, God’s plan redeemed our failed human plans. As Isaiah reveals, Christ would be the banner to whom we run for safety: “In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal [banner] for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious” (Isa 11:10). As finite creatures, we don’t always know God’s purposes, but we do know he is sovereign. He is always in control. And if God had a purpose for the sufferings of his own Son, then he certainly has a purpose for our suffering as well (Rom 8:31-32). So, let’s trust God’s sovereignty even when life doesn’t go according to our plans.
Receive God’s Word (vv. 5-8)
David continues his prayer in v. 5, “That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer us!” Even when God has rejected his covenant people for a time, he still loves them. Even when he pours out wrath, he remains fully committed to his chosen people. So, David prays for God to keep his promises because God alone has the power to save them. His right hand is stronger than all of Israel’s enemies. As the one true God, he is the only deity to whom David can pray that will hear and answer prayers.
Then suddenly, God answers from within the psalm itself: “God has spoken in his holiness” (v. 6a). The Lord grounds his promises upon his holy character, for he does not lie (Num 23:19). His words are always right and true (Ps 33:4). So, God declares that all the land belongs to him (60:6b-7). Despite our petty squabbles throughout world history, our God is still the King of all the earth who distributes the land as he sees fit. He governs nations and peoples and boundaries and borders. Shechem Succoth and are sacred places which fall on opposite sides of the Jordan. Gilead and Manasseh are Israelite territories east of the river while Ephraim and Judah stand to the west. God declares Ephraim his “helmet” to symbolize its prominence as the northern kingdom of Israel. And he calls Judah, in the south, his “scepter” because the future king would come from Judah—both David and also David’s Greater Son (2 Sam 7:8-17; Gen 49:10). By listing all these places east—west—north—south, God declares that “all Israel belongs to me.”
Following this, we encounter three of Israel’s enemies: Moab, Edom, and Philistia, for God is sovereign over these as well (Ps 60:8). With a bit of trash talk, he calls Moab his washbasin—the place he rinses his stinky feet. And as he’s washing his bare feet, he throws his sandal in the face of Edom—a Middle Eastern insult. Then, just like Goliath did to Israel, God taunts the Philistines to bring it on: “Over Philistia I shout in triumph.” God declares his victory even before the battle begins, for these prideful pagans do not belong to God’s chosen family (Isa 16:6; Obad 3; Zech 9:6). They pressure Israel from the east and from the west and have become her ancient enemies. Yet God could take them out of the world just as easily as he brought them into it (Exod 15:14-15; see Deut 2:5, 9-11, 12, 22; Amos 9:7). Thus, God’s enemies are no match for him. They do not stand a chance.
One way to picture this is to view God as the lord of the manor. He has numerous servants and numerous children who are all fighting over the land. In fact, this children’s quarrel has come to blows with harsh words flying in every direction. Yet God comes down with the cheerful authority of a loving father. He puts his servants in their place. He restores the inheritance of his children. He parcels out the land as he sees fit. Yet no one has the right to argue, for God’s word settles the matter and his word stands forever.
If God says you are his beloved, then believe it as true. If he blesses you, receive it as the very word of God. If he tells you his plans, then affirm his sovereign authority. For when God speaks, you can trust his Word. And even when your plans get frustrated, you can know that he still loves you (Rom 8:35, 37-39). Most today don’t have adversaries trying to take our land or possessions. Our neighbor to the south isn’t sharpening his sword for a sneak attack. Our neighbor to the west doesn’t have a giant who will challenge us in battle. Yet we have other matters which threaten our faith in God. We are concerned about our job situation, health problems, overbearing relatives, or life-dominating sins. These are the enemies encroaching past our borders.
God says to us, “You are my beloved. You are mine. Your whole life belongs to me. Your horrible job situation is my washbasin. Don’t worry about cancer; I throw my shoe at it. I declare victory over your troubled marriage. I promise to judge those bullies who never leave you alone. And I am preparing a glorious eternity where sin and sickness will harm you no more (Rev 21:4-5). No matter what happens to your plans in this present life, you are always my beloved and I have allotted to you “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3). So, when your plans get frustrated, trust God’s sovereignty and receive God’s Word. Then finally, you must follow God’s plan.
Follow God’s Plan (vv. 9-12)
As he prepares for battle, David asks, “Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?” (Ps 60:9). Apparently Edom, the modern-day nation of Jordan, has attacked Israel while David and his army were occupied elsewhere. So now, the king returns to re-establish his authority. He will take the fight into the heart of Edom—to the fortified city of Petra—an impregnable fortress built directly into cliffs of limestone and accessible only through a narrow canyon called a siq. This canyon is virtually impenetrable to foreign armies as the walls stretch up to 600 feet high on both sides and the passage is so tight, in places, that only two horses can pass abreast. It would require just a few brave soldiers to defend that canyon against an entire army, yet David does not shrink from danger. He will take on the Edomites at their strongest.
David insists, however, that God should lead them into battle, for he is devastated by Israel’s recent losses: “Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies” (v. 10). God had not protected his people the last time. He had left them exposed to their enemies. So, what if that happens again? What if Israel rises to attack Edom and faces defeat again? David’s concern reveals his total dependence on the Lord and not Israel’s military prowess. He humbly approaches God in prayer and submits his plans to God. He declares that Israel cannot win the battle without God. They cannot conquer unless God is on their side. The Hebrew word for “help” (ezer) does not just mean just a teeny-tiny bit of assistance for someone who’s already doing their part. Rather, it describes a person of power coming to the rescue of the one in need (Pss 33:20; 44:26; 70:5; 72:12). Without God’s constant help, we’d all be dead. So, David prays, “Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes” (60:11-12). God alone must lead us into battle, “for vain is the salvation of man!” (see v. 9). God alone will strengthen the weak and make the fearful valiant, for God alone treads down our foes (44:5; see Isa 63:1-6).
So, what’s your Petra—your seemingly impossible situation? You’ve got plans, but they seem to be frustrated at every turn. It feels like the people around you are all against you, and sometimes, you even sabotage yourself. Trust God’s sovereign plan and receive God’s holy word. For he has blessings set aside for you. He has chosen you to be his precious child and he promises victory over all your enemies. Even when your plans get frustrated, you can turn to God in prayer. Tell him about your Petra—the fortified city that threatens to overcome you. Call on him to lead you into battle—to do what seems impossible. Submit to his strength and rely on his help. Then, work hard at whatever God has given you to do (Col 3:23-24). In your own strength, you will surely fail. But with the Lord’s help, you shall do valiantly (John 15:1-11).
Life Application Study:
Head – Thinking God’s Truth
- Read the background of Psalm 60 in 2 Samuel 8-10. What were David’s plans and how were they frustrated?
- Who was Edom and what was God’s plan for them (see Gen 25:30; Exod 15:14-15; Num 20:14-21; 24:18; Obad 1-4)?
- Locate the place names in Psalm 60:6-8 and identify their biblical significance. What point was God trying to make to his chosen people (Deut 7:6-9)?
Heart – Growing God’s Truth
- Describe the last time your plans were frustrated. What were you thinking or feeling at the time? How did you respond to your situation (Prov 19:21)?
- How does the promise of God’s enduring love for you change the way you view your present suffering (Ps 60:5; Rom 8:38-39)?
Hands – Living God’s Truth
- Reflect on this quote from John Newton: “Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise physician prescribes, because we need them; and he proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires.”
- What’s your Petra—your impossible challenge in life? Ask God to help you valiantly take on that challenge. Claim his love for you and his allotted blessings, then step out boldly in an act of faith.
Pray Psalm 60:
- O God, I hate it when my plans get frustrated, but I know you’re in control (vv. 1-3).
- Lead us to a safe place and give us the strength to keep on following (v. 4).
- Remind us that we are your beloved and hold us in your strong right hand (v. 5).
- Open our eyes to hear your Word (v. 6a).
- Show us the blessings you have allotted to us and the promise of certain victory (vv. 6b-8).
- Grant us the help that only you can offer and teach us to live valiantly (vv. 9-12).
[1] The causative verbs in verses 2-3 express God’s sovereign authority and intent, but God cannot be blamed as unjust.
