“I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them. And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.” (2Sa 22:38-39 AV)
This is part of David’s song of victory when Absalom and the Philistines were defeated. It took a lifetime, but David finally attained peace from his enemies. God was very good to him. In part, because David was a fighter and not a quitter. He was in the battle for the long haul. He was not committed as long as he felt he was successful. He was in it to win it. If it took forty years, then that was what David was going to do. I love these two verses. The first is our text. But the second is just as wonderful. When David dealt with an enemy, he made sure the enemy was completely defeated so he could not come again. Note David wounded them so they could not arise. They never come back to give him trouble further down the road. When he defeated an enemy, that enemy stayed defeated. What an encouragement as we battle our enemies. Especially the flesh. May it never rise again! It is the first verse, however, which is our thought for the day. That is, finishing a battle is just as important as starting one.
The movie, Rocky, was a smash hit. It spawned several more in a series revolving around the main character Rocky Belboa. Rocky was an old-fashioned boxer who did things the hard way. He was cast as a down-on-your-luck kind of guy who was always underestimated. It didn’t matter if he was boxing Apollo or the Russian, Rocky was always a severe underdog. Rocky’s opponents had the best trainers, facilities, equipment, and technology. If I remember right, the Russian boxer was also drug-enhanced. In the first Rocky movie, Rocky’s equipment was a jump rope and the stairs leading to the capital building in Philadelphia. In the second movie, Rocky retreated to a cabin in the north wintry woods and his equipment was an ax and a sled. Each movie had the same theme. When the bout came, Rocky would get pummeled to near defeat. When it appears as though he has had enough and the trainer is ready to throw in the towel, Rocky gets his second wind. He came back and beat the snot out of his opponent. The crowd goes wild! The little guy wins! The one who had everything against him came out on top. What Rocky started, even though it appeared as though defeat was a foregone conclusion, never gave up. He stuck in there and finished the fight. He beat his enemies not because he was stronger or faster. He whooped his foes not because he was better trained or had better technique. Rocky came out on top because he finished what he started. It was sheer determination, character, and commitment that won the battle.
None of us possess unlimited strength and ability. We all face battles too big to handle. When we see someone got through similar circumstances and it appears they fare better than we do, don’t be fooled. You see them at their best. They have trials too big to bear as well. When we do, commitment and not strength is the key to seeing it all the way through. The LORD will never ask you to face something bigger than yourself without the promise to be there with you and enable you to make it past the finish line. Commitment is what we can offer. God is not asking us to do the impossible all on our own. What really spoke to me was the finality of the statement of David. He was able to sing that song because he made a choice. This choice was made in his childhood. This choice carried him through every trial he ever faced. It was why he could hunt and kill a lion and bear. This choice drove him to defeat Goliath. This commitment was the guiding principle of David as he fled Saul while still honoring him. This choice to see a thing through to the end was the strength that placed him on his throne after the death of his son. David never quit. What he started is what he finished. This is why he could sing what he did above.
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