Psalm 60

Now rescue Your beloved people. Answer and save us by Your power.

(Psalms 60:5)

RESCUE. I love the word RESCUE. It is probably one of my favorite metaphors in all of scripture. It communicates a situation that was beyond repair… you don’t need to be “rescued” if everything is OK… you only need to be rescued if real danger is imminent and pressing, and there is no way of escape.

In the Hebrew, the word translated RESCUE here is really cool. It can mean to reach in and pull someone out of a desperate situation… to deliver or remove them from danger. But there is more to it than that. It can also mean to prepare someone for battle or equip them for the battles that lie ahead. The Lord doesn’t merely snatch us away from danger… he also prepares us to fight the battles that lie ahead.

We need to remember this when we think about SALVATION. It is true that God has pulled us out of the grip of sin, delivering us from its sting, and the certain destruction that comes with it. But He didn’t stop there… He equips us for the fight that we are forever involved in… this war against sin, this fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil. God doesn’t just bail us out… He gives us the tools we need to fight!

Remember this principle. SALVATION is so much more than God just bailing us out! When you face temptation or an assault from the enemy, call out to God for rescue, but don’t forget that He wants to equip you to WIN the battle, not just AVOID the battle!