Psalm 144

As I began reading today’s psalm, I noticed something interesting in the first two verses. Let’s see if you notice it, too: “Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. 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.” (vs 1-2)

Did you notice how many times David used the word my in those two verses? Maybe that’s not especially noteworthy in verse one, since he is talking about his hands and fingers. But in verse two, he continues to use the word my before every name of God: my loving God, my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, and my shield.

Here, David is modeling an extremely personal relationship with his Creator. In a way, I suppose it could almost sound selfish, speaking of God as mine, mine, mine. But I think that could only be selfish if we don’t realize that every single person can have this same personal relationship with God and that He actually prefers it that way.

Just to be clear, this isn’t some idea of forced possession. When we speak this way about God, we are not claiming that we control Him and tell Him what to do. It’s more a statement of belonging. God has said we belong to Him, and if we follow David’s example in this psalm, we can, in turn, declare that He belongs to us.

I love the Scripture where God says we belong to Him. It’s in Isaiah: “But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, he who formed you: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” (Isa 43:1)

God owns us. We belong to Him. That doesn’t mean He looks at us like possessions, but it does mean that His gracious arms are always wide-open, ready to receive us and welcome us home. When nobody else will have us, when nobody else wants us, God wants us.

And, by the same token, God wants to be owned. He doesn’t just want us to shrug our shoulders and come home to Him with a whatever kind of attitude. He wants us to be as interested in knowing Him as He is in knowing us! He wants us to take ownership in our relationship with Him. He wants give and take. He wants to hear us say that He belongs to us, not just accept the fact that we belong to Him.

God wants to be owned by you. He may be a fortress, a stronghold, and a deliverer, but more than that, He wants to be your fortress, your stronghold, and your deliverer!