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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 25 January 2026:
Psalm 108:1-5 — My heart is steadfast, O God…. I will sing and make melody with all my being.
Psalm 108 opens not with circumstances but with resolve. David declares a settled heart before he names a single external condition. His praise does not wait for victory or relief. It begins with who God is. A steadfast heart rests in the ultimate security of belonging to the Sovereign Almighty God who loves us perfectly. A steadfast heart precedes a steadfast life.
Psalm 108:1-5 is not new material for David; it is rehearsed truth. These verses closely mirror Psalm 57:7-11, while Psalm 108:6-13 later echoes Psalm 60:5-12 almost verbatim. That repetition is intentional. David is not searching for perspective in the moment of pressure, he has already settled it beforehand. He does not wait for battle to decide what he believes about God. He enters conflict armed with truth that has already been internalized.
This reveals a critical spiritual discipline: David had preloaded his heart with reality. His steadfastness is not spontaneous courage but cultivated conviction. He had already anchored his identity, hope, and confidence in who God is, so when opposition arose, perspective did not collapse. He begins with praise because praise reminds the soul what is true before circumstances argue otherwise.
In this sense, David models what the New Testament later describes as putting on the full armor of God. The fight is not merely circumstantial or political; it is spiritual. The true battlefield is the heart and mind, where lies of abandonment, condemnation, self-reliance, fear, and victimhood seek to take root. David resists those lies by beginning with truth — God’s steadfast love, God’s faithfulness, God’s sovereignty over the nations.
This is how a believer becomes “steadfast and immovable.” Stability is not the absence of pressure; it is the presence of rehearsed truth. David’s heart does not drift because it is guarded. His worship is not escapism; it is warfare. By renewing his mind with what God has revealed, he protects himself from reacting emotionally and instead responds faithfully.
The same pattern applies now. We do not become anchored in crisis; we reveal what we have already anchored ourselves to. The renewing of the mind through God’s word is what preserves clarity when emotions surge and circumstances threaten perspective. David starts with unshakable truth so that his faith remains firm when the day’s fight begins.
David speaks to his own soul—“Awake, O harp and lyre!”—because worship is often an act of discipline before it becomes an act of delight. Praise is not merely expressive; it is formative. When God’s glory becomes central, the heart is re-aligned. The New Testament echoes this posture when believers are called to present their bodies as living sacrifices, engaging the will before the emotions follow.
David’s praise also extends beyond private devotion. “I will give thanks among the peoples.” Worship is meant to be public testimony. God’s steadfast love and faithfulness rise above the heavens, and therefore praise cannot remain hidden. This anticipates the gospel’s outward movement: grace received always presses toward grace proclaimed.
- Ephesians 6:10-18 — Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints….
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 — For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ….
- Proverbs 24:10 — If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
Psalm 108:2, 3 – I will awake the dawn! I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples.
Pray for a love for God that is so powerful your first desire in the morning is to be with Him in fellowship that is so powerful it is all you want to talk about with others.
Put on the full armor of God before you face the day’s battles, not during our after the fight.
Psalm 108:6-9 — That your beloved ones may be delivered….
The prayer now turns outward. David asks for deliverance not as personal entitlement, but because God has chosen a people. Confidence follows praise. God has spoken; therefore David trusts. He recounts God’s sovereignty over nations and territories, not to boast in power but to remember who rules history.
Psalm 108:7 — God has promised in his holiness….
Having already proclaimed God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, and having already appealed to God’s “right hand” (v. 6) — His active power to save, David connects the character of God to the promises of God. “God has promised in his holiness” means David’s confidence is not rooted in mood, momentum, or military readiness. It is rooted in the character of the One who spoke.
When Scripture ties God’s promise to His holiness, it’s signaling that the guarantee is as sure as God’s own nature. God does not merely make commitments; He binds them to Himself. His holiness means He is utterly pure, undivided, and incapable of deceit or manipulation. He cannot be bribed, pressured, or improved upon. He does not evolve, backpedal, or discover new information. So when God promises, it is not optimistic intention, it is covenant certainty. David is saying, in effect, “The outcome is secure because the Promiser is secure.”
That’s why this confidence is not sentimental. It is rational faith. David’s emotions are not ignored, but they are not in charge. His inner stability is driven by the reliability of God’s word. This is exactly where love, joy, and peace become more than feelings, they become fruits of trust. If God’s love is sovereign and His promises are guaranteed, then the believer’s baseline changes. The center of gravity moves from “What’s happening to me?” to “What has God pledged Himself to do?”
And what has He pledged? In Christ, God is working all things, not some things, for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. That doesn’t mean all things are good; it means none of them are wasted. Providence is not a vague concept; it is personal governance. The same holy God who speaks promises is the God who steers history and threads even evil and loss into eventual good without ever becoming the author of evil.
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That promise changes how you interpret your failures. Conviction draws you back to God; condemnation drives you away from Him. In Christ, guilt no longer has the final word, shame no longer gets to define you, and fear of punishment no longer gets to run your nervous system. Repentance becomes honest instead of desperate, because acceptance is settled.
He will complete what He started. The promise isn’t merely that you should grow into Christlikeness — it is that God will finish the work He began in you. That changes the way you view slow progress, recurring weaknesses, and unfinished sanctification. Your growth is real work, but it is not fragile work. It rests on the holy determination of God, not the fluctuating discipline of man.
Even death is covered. God’s promise of eternal life means death is no longer a wall; it is a doorway. The worst thing that can happen to you cannot sever you from God’s love or cancel God’s plan. That single reality reorders everything else. You can face loss without collapsing into despair because your future is not ultimately in your hands — it is in His.
So Psalm 108:7 is not just David being confident. It’s David operating from a different control center. God’s “holy promise” means your present circumstances are not the ultimate interpreter of your life. God’s word is. When you really take that seriously, it changes how you respond to everything: criticism, setbacks, delays, sickness, financial pressure, relational strain, even your own shortcomings. You stop treating today like it has the authority to define tomorrow. God’s promise does.
That is the practical force of “God has promised in his holiness”: the security of your past (forgiven), the stability of your present (governed), and the certainty of your future (secured) all rest on Him. And once your life is anchored there, everything else becomes secondary — real, sometimes painful, but no longer ultimate.
This is faith anchored in God’s promises, not visible evidence. David believes because God has spoken. The New Testament describes the same dynamic: faith comes by hearing, not seeing. Hope grows when God’s word is treated as more reliable than circumstances.
Psalm 108:10-13 — Oh grant us help against the foe….
The psalm closes with sober realism. David acknowledges that human strength is insufficient. Victory comes from God alone. This is not passive dependence; it is humble confidence. God will act, and therefore His people will act courageously.
The gospel fulfills this tension perfectly. Human strength cannot conquer sin or death. Yet through Christ, God has done what we could not. Victory is not achieved by human resolve but by divine intervention. Therefore believers live and labor with confidence, not in themselves, but in the God who has already secured the decisive victory.
Psalm 108:13 — With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.
Let God worry about your enemies and your troubles. Focus your attention on Him, and let Him do what you cannot do anyway.
Esther 5:1-2 — On the third day Esther put on her royal robes….
Esther moves from resolve to action. She does not rush. She prepares, waits, and then steps forward. The third day is not incidental; Scripture repeatedly uses delay to emphasize dependence. Esther enters the court clothed in her royal identity, risking death while standing in the role she was given.
The king’s favor is extended before Esther speaks. The unseen hand of providence is already at work. Grace precedes request. This mirrors the gospel pattern: Christ grants access before we know how to ask rightly. We stand accepted not because we are persuasive, but because God is gracious.
Esther 5:3-8 — If it please the king… let the king and Haman come….
Esther does something unexpected — she delays. Twice. She does not reveal her request immediately. This is not fear; it is wisdom. God’s timing matters as much as God’s will. Esther understands that discernment includes patience.
In a culture addicted to immediacy, this moment reminds us that faith does not demand instant resolution. Jesus often did the same, drawing out moments, asking questions, waiting for hearts to be exposed. God is never rushed, and His purposes are not fragile.
Esther 5:9-13 — Yet all this is worth nothing to me….
Haman leaves the banquet both exalted and furious. Honor without humility curdles into rage. His joy is conditional, dependent on control and recognition. One man’s refusal to bow consumes him.
This is the anatomy of pride. External success cannot quiet internal insecurity. The New Testament diagnoses this clearly: the flesh always demands more. Haman’s problem is not Mordecai; it is an uncrucified ego. He is proof that advancement without repentance only magnifies corruption.
Esther 5:11 — And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king.
Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. A person can have all the appearances of success while being a failure in God’s eyes and while heading to calamity.
Esther 5:12 — Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king.”
Haman interpreted circumstances from a selfish, self-centered perspective.
Esther 5:13 — Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.
Haman could not be content. Pride and Jealousy consumed Haman and ruined is appreciation of everything else. What is needlessly robbing you of your joy? Don’t let one negative thing consume you. Focus on how much God has blessed you. Remain joyfully obedient, one day at a time, and watch God work.
Esther 5:14 — Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made….
Haman’s advisors encourage escalation. Sin grows bolder when affirmed. The gallows meant for Mordecai reveal how evil overreaches when unchecked. What Haman builds for another will soon become the instrument of his own downfall.
This is a consistent biblical pattern. What evil intends for destruction, God repurposes for deliverance. The cross itself stands as the ultimate reversal, an instrument of shame, punishment, and death transformed into the means of salvation. Haman’s confidence at the end of this chapter is tragic irony. Providence is already turning.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) — 25 January 2026: Examine where you are tempted to rush, control, or secure outcomes instead of trusting God’s timing. Ask yourself honestly: Where do I need a steadfast heart before changed circumstances? Where might patience, not pressure, be the faithful next step? Choose one action today that reflects trust rather than control — wait before responding, pray before acting, or obey without knowing the outcome.
Pray: “Father, steady my heart before You steady my circumstances. Teach me to praise You not only when outcomes are clear, but when faith must walk ahead of sight. Guard me from the pride that seeks control and the fear that rushes Your timing. Help me trust Your providence when You work quietly and obey You when the cost is real. Thank You for Christ, who secured access I could never earn and victory I could never achieve. Shape my life to reflect patience, courage, and confidence in You alone. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
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