His Gentleness Will Make You Great

Posted on by Jennifer Arimborgo

Lion King

“Your gentleness has made me great” (Ps. 18:35c, NKJV).

Psalm 18 has always astounded me. At the outset, we have the Psalmist utterly overwhelmed, crushed by the weight of despair: “Death bound me with chains, and the floods of ungodliness mounted a massive attack against me. Trapped and helpless, I struggled against the ropes that drew me on to death” (vv. 4-5, TLB).

In the very same Psalm, a few verses later, we find an entirely transformed man. Somehow, the enemies that had their foot on his neck are now under his feet: “I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet” (vv. 37-38, ESV).

How is this possible?

God did it.

Verse 35 sums up the essence of the whole Psalm. “Your gentleness has made me great.”

It wasn’t David’s hard work that made him great. It wasn’t the sweat of his brow. It wasn’t his prowess at war. It wasn’t his irresistible leadership charisma. It wasn’t his ability to inspire a nation.

It was God’s gentleness. God’s beautiful heart towards him. God’s intimate involvement. God’s tender, astonishing accomplishment.

God’s gentleness did all of this for him:

  • Scattered his attackers with lightning bolts (v. 14).
  • Pulled him out of the pit of wretchedness and lifted him on high (vv. 16-19, 33).
  • Lit up his darkness with glorious splendor (v. 28).
  • Trained him to triumph in every battle (v. 34)
  • Armed him with so much might that he crushed his enemies to powder (vv. 37-42).

David freely acknowledges that his adversaries were too strong for him (v. 17). He proclaims to the four winds that he himself, on his own ability and strength, was a weakling. He did not make himself powerful. He did not make himself victorious. God did it!

By the end of the Psalm, the underdog has become a ruler. “You have made me the head of the nations… as soon as they hear of me they obey me” (vv. 43-44, NKJV). As we read, we encounter a man walking in the authority that flows from having overcome.

In the indescribably joyful place in which he now finds himself positioned, David lifts up his voice in jubilant celebration. Yet, even as he exults, he bows down low and acknowledges with all of his heart, “It is God who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me” (v. 47, bold emphasis mine).

God did it. His gentleness made David great.

Have you felt overwhelmed and oppressed lately? With all your heart, cry out to the gentle God today! As He delighted in David, He delights in you. He is ready to scatter your attackers and pull you out of your pit. He is eager to illuminate your darkness and train you to triumph. He is longing to arm you with mighty strength… and crush every one of your enemies under your feet.

Cry out! His gentleness will make you great!

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Has God pulled you, too, out of a pit? Can you relate to David’s triumphant rejoicing?

 

30 thoughts on “His Gentleness Will Make You Great”

  2. When God looks for someone to use, He doesn’t look for someone who has a perfect performance but one who has a right heart toward Him.

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  5. Jennifer, I have entered many PITS along the way, I have sought escape in fear. But then in the midst of what the enemy wanted me to be lost in, my Lord came to mind ! My Spirit arose and sought the Lord in absolute dependence. He brought me out of the “pit” and placed me in green pastures with His mountains of monumental strength. The wind of the Spirit lifted me to the clouds of victory. Amen Len

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  7. Wow! indeed. It is in the gentle Strength and power of God that we must live. Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of wickedness. (The world the flesh and the devil.). His gentle STRENGTH in us and through us will help us to STAND. Thank you.

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  9. I love this!!! This is so incredible and powerful ❤ I've been recently looking at David so this is timely for me. ❤ I'm going to share this post on two different community posts I have for Christian Bloggers. One will appear tomorrow and one will appear next week. 🙂 I try to get word out about the Christian Blogging Community for others to be encouraged and to keep spreading the truth of our Savior ❤

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  10. With God on our side, we can accomplish much. However, we need to acknowledge our Father for our success. Just as David was humbled by God’s hand in his life, we can wisely remember how David gave all of the credit to God.

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  12. Yes, I can relate to David on multiple levels, first his heart for God, and his faith, and his trust in his Lord even when everything in the natural said to be afraid. But, I can identify with his past failures, too, for I have walked in his shoes, and yes, God did lift me out of a pit, too, for which I am eternally grateful. And, then I identify with him, too, in how God restored him, and how he renewed in him that heart after God, that heart that trusted the Lord and that called on the Lord for help and for guidance, and sometimes for understanding, too. And, yes, it is God’s gentle heart which does all this in us, and that gives us hope and courage and strength and wisdom to keep moving forward every day, and to keep trusting, even when things look hopeless sometimes, believing what God began in us he will complete.

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