call upon the promises of God

A Song of Ascents.
1 Remember, O Lord, in David’s favor,
all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the Lord
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house
or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool!”

8 Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
shall sit on your throne.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but on him his crown will shine.”

- Psalm 132

We see in this psalm a call to God to remember the suffering of His servant David. This plea is made by Solomon and he is counting on the covenant that was made between David and God. We know that God honors His covenants and He always remembers those that honor Him. He remembered Noah and calmed the floodwaters. He remembered Rachel and Hannah and sent them children. He remembered Abraham and delivered Lot from destruction in Sodom. It is because of this that Solomon can make his plea with confidence that God will remember His servant David.

We who are Christians should be emboldened by this psalm to call upon the promises of God made to His children who have trusted in His Son. For if God honored and remembered the covenants He made with men, how much more will He honor and remember the covenant made in the name of His Son?

If the afflictions that David suffered on behalf of God are worthy of an entreaty for provision, how much more worthy are the afflictions of Jesus? As the author of Hebrews writes: “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” (Heb 12:3). We have in Christ a promise that is based in His perfection and not in our striving. We do not grow weary because He bears our burdens for us.

So many times in scripture our faith is likened to a race. In a race it is easy to become discouraged because of the size of the task in front of us. Sometimes it becomes easy to doubt that we have the ability to complete the race. That is okay for Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith and it is He who has already won the race for us. If we can simply remember as Solomon did to call upon the promises of God and trust that He will remember His covenant we can have the confidence we often lack.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2)