AP

Psalm 18:35   You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great.

In his devotional book, “Morning and Evening”, C.H.Spurgeon commented on the second half of this verse, and notes that in the phrase, “your help has made me great”, the Hebrew word translated ‘help’ by the NIV is capable of several translations into English (as is the case for several key Hebrew words because of the range of meanings they have to cover; cf ‘chesed’ = love, mercy, kindness, lovingkindness, etc).

Examples Spurgeon gives for the meaning of ‘anawah in “your ‘anawah has made me great”  are: ‘goodness’, ‘providence’, ‘help’, ‘humility’, ‘condescension’, ‘discipline’ – favoured by the Septuagint – ‘fatherly correction’, etc.

Spurgeon then sums all this up as follows: “It is God’s making himself little which is the cause of our being made great.  We are so little, that if God should manifest his greatness without condescension, we should be trampled under his feet. … … David ascribes all his own greatness to the condescending goodness of his Father in heaven.  May this sentiment be echoed in our own hearts this evening while we cast our crowns at Jesus’ feet, and cry, ‘Thy gentleness hath made me great.’  How marvelous has been our experience of God’s gentleness!  How gentle have been his corrections!  How gentle his forbearance!  How gentle his teachings!  How gentle his drawings!  Meditate upon this theme, O believer.  Let gratitude be awakened; let humility be deepened; let love be quickened before you fall asleeo tonight.”

We see all this demonstrated so clearly and perfectly in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is why the apostle Paul urges us: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8)

How important it is for us to heed these things as our surrounding culture exerts its powerful influence in the diametrically opposite direction.  And, as we fight this important battle for the sake of the young people entrusted to our care, let us remember the promise of our reigning Risen Lord who, by his own humility and meekness, has already won the final battle (see Philippians 2:9-11 – “Therefore God exalted HIM to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”): “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

– Bruce Christian