Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Banish

Banished armies

Built garrisons

Brought tribute to Jerusalem

Bronze offerings, gold shields

Brought victory to David

By God’s hands.

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     What enemies, within or without, do you need to see put to flight?

2.     What fears do you need banished or turned into a tribute?

3.     What garrisons have you set in place by God’s word to protect your faith?

Share: What recent victory has the Lord given you through His lovingkindness?

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

2 Samuel 8:6, “Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David and brought tribute. The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.”

The Old Testament is filled with the stories of battle where God gave deliverance. 2 Samuel 8 relates several different sets of foreign enemies that David put to flight under God’s direction. Despite all his wrong choices and sins, David remained faithful to belong to God and his desire to be His servant.

David’s heart was dedicated to God above all else. He sought the Lord’s words—personal communion above all else. He could not bear to be apart from His will.

But he was also well trained in warfare and knew that retaliation was always on the horizon. So he built garrisons. He built in protection. He did not take times of peace for granted. He stayed vigilant and with each victory he turned the tribute to the Lord.

Sometimes we are so grateful for a victory over an enemy without, we don’t see the one diminishing our heart. Or we give thanks and forget to set up protective garrisons of prayer and tribute and become complacent in sustaining a heart-to-heart relationship that seeks only God’s guidance. We doubt our ability to receive His gifts of refuge and training and let false words or false ways become our plans.

Lord, please give us Your eyes of faith to put to flight, to banish, any desires or enticements that can corrupt Your will in our lives.  

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 144:1-2

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, Who trains my hands for war,

And my fingers for battle;

My lovingkindness and my fortress, My stronghold and my deliverer;

My shield and He in whom I take refuge; Who subdues my people under me.”