You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. - Psalm 91: 13-14
The life of a believer is meant to be one imbued with power. It is meant to be one of triumph, not failure. Not that we will never experience failure but that we live an overcoming life as Jesus said. We are meant to walk daily in the victory that Christ appropriated for us on the cross at Calvary. This power-filled life is meant to go far beyond the hour and a half we spend in church on Sundays; it is meant for everyday, every-event living.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. - Romans 8:37 (NIV)
Yet too many Christians remain powerless, let alone conquerors. Too many Christians live impotent lives, stripped of the power God intends for them. Stripped by their own hand; by their own doing. Psalm 91, verses 13 and 14 show us this intended power and the keys for achieving it, and living it.
The Psalmist begins by contrasting similar words and phrases, a staple of this Psalm. Our normal reaction is to brush past these similarities without delving deeper into what God is trying to say. In verse 13 God is saying that the believer will tread upon the lion and the cobra, as well as trample the great lion and serpent. Why does the Psalmist use such seemingly similar language? Because they mean different things. The first image is one of treading, or walking upon. God uses the most fearsome image from the animal kingdom in the lion and one of the most deadly reptiles, the cobra. In the King James Version, the cobra is actually an "adder" or "asp". The asp is actually quite small, but its venom is powerful and without remedy. The Psalmist is using the contrast of the large fearsome lion and the small but lethal asp to relay that the believer can actually walk in this world without fear of anything. Far too often Christians are bound by fear. Fear of condemnation, fear of their past, fear of their future. God is speaking to us in this verse to say that as a believer you should not be living a life of fear. You can walk directly upon the lion and the asp, without fear. This does not mean that we should literally be walking on an actual lion or hanging out with asps. The Psalmist is using figurative language to convey that the things which would rationally cause the greatest fearful reactions in this world we have the power to overcome! The Apostle Paul reminds us that fear does not come from God:
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." -- 2Timothy 1: 7 (KJV)
Note that the spirit God gave you is one of power! Now, if fear does not come from God then it comes from the enemy. He whispers into your life, accusing you, making you feel inferior, or insecure about who you are and what God has promised you. But Psalm 91, verse 13 reminds us what power God has promised us and then immediately contrasts it with why we should not have fear. Not only will you tread upon the most fearsome animal and deadly serpent, but you will also trample the great lion and serpent. The use of the word trample here draws a contrast to the previous treading through life where if we have a confrontation, do not worry, God is in control. This is the mindset David had when as a mere Shepard, he came across Goliath. He did not trust his eyes. He did not lean on his own understanding. He did not give in to fear. Why? Because he had already seen God deliver him from the bear and the lion. He already understood the power of God in which he walked.
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. - 1Samuel 17:45 (KJV)
As we know, God delivered Goliath into David's hand. God will also deliver your Goliath into your hands, if you would just walk according to the promise of power He has for your life. The second half of verse 13 may sound similar to the first half, but the Psalmist takes it up a notch. Note that the great lion, infers that even the strongest of the most fearsome beasts, will not stand against you if you are walking in the power of almighty God. The serpent referred to here, is actually translated as "dragon" in the King James Version. God is saying that you have the power as a believer to tread upon lions and asps, and if they come against you, you have the power to trample even the strongest lion and the most deadly dragon. While treading indicates occurrences that happen during the normal course of life, trampling indicates that our life in general should be an overcoming life. That the way in which we live -- in Christ -- should lend itself to trampling the very things that would cause the average life to cower in fear. Even in David's case, we see no pause when he surveys the situation with Goliath. It doesn't matter to him that all of the bravest men, including the king were cowering in fear! Think about that! It doesn't matter to him that the giant is so imposing! David was living a life that trampled upon the great lion and mighty dragon already when he came upon this scene. As such -- he overcame it with a slingshot of faith. Hallelujah!
There is however the key to walking in this power found in verse 14. It is not within your power that you walk, but God's. It is by the power of God that you can accomplish these things for your life. God tells us in verse 14 why He would choose to rescue and protect us from our own situations; because we love Him and acknowledge His name. How do we love someone? By spending time with them. By getting to know them better. By immersing ourselves in who they are. God wants our most precious resource; He wants our time. He wants our attention.
I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. - Hosea 6:6 (NLT)
I want you to know me. How do we get to know God? Verse 14 tells us; by acknowledging His name. The dictionary defines acknowledge as:
To show or express recognition or realization of and to recognize the authority, validity, or claims of .
Wow; take a moment to digest that. We sure know the name of Christ. We sure like to say it; maybe even throw it around a bit too much. But do we really acknowledge His name? Do our lives show and express who God is? Can people tell that we recognize and realize who God is? Are our lives bowed to His authority and living according to His claims (Word)? That is the key for walking in His power.
The world can be a frightening place beloved. But too many Christians walk through it the same way that the unsaved do and it should not be so. Christ intends for us to live and overcoming life. A life that when presented with the unexpected reacts with the assurances of whom the God is that they serve. A life that walks in that confidence to begin with so that when we come across the giants in this life we already know that the God whom our lives acknowledge daily is far far bigger.
Rev. Anthony.
