It Starts Small

David begins this Psalm praising God for his future deliverance. When you are under attack, you should follow David’s example by praising God for your deliverance. 

Praise: When You Are Under Attack, Praise God for His Deliverance.

David responded to his attackers by praising God for His future deliverance. As our example, David praised God’s “name” or holy character when others attacked him:

¹ I will thank the Lord with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous works.
² I will rejoice and boast about you;
I will sing about your name, Most High.
³ When my enemies retreat,
they stumble and perish before you.

Psalm 9:1-3

David knew that half-hearted praise was worthless. He praised God with his whole heart. By praising God the “Most High” and he trusted in God’s sovereignty over evil.

When you are under attack, turn your focus from yourself to God by praising Him. David repeatedly thanked God and praised Him every time that God delivered him.

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them shout for joy forever.
May you shelter them,
and may those who love your name boast about you.

Psalm 5:11

raising my voice in thanksgiving
and telling about your wondrous works.

PSalms 26:7

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

Psalm 34:1

The righteous one rejoices in the Lord
and takes refuge in him;
all those who are upright in heart
will offer praise.

Psalm 64:10

I will praise you with all my heart, Lord my God,
and will honor your name forever.

Psalm 86:12

Regardless of your situation, the Apostle Paul also encouraged believers to always thank God.

giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 5:20

 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Regardless of the timing of your deliverance, give thanks that God will one day deliver you from evil.

Offer praise that is genuine and authentic. David promised: I will thank the Lord with all my heart (Psalm 9:1). The famous British preacher Charles Spurgeon echoed David’s words by observing that: “Half heart is no heart.” If you are half heardidly going through the motions when you worship, it is a mere show that is worthless to God.

God fills His enemies with fear in His timing. David also repeatedly praised God for causing his enemies to run from him when God protected him (Ps. 27:2, Ps. 56:9, Ps. 41:11, Ps. 118:6, Heb. 13:6, Ro. 8:31).

While many know of God’s future victory over evil, many lack the patience to trust in His timing. Your deliverance might be immediate or it might not happen until you get to heaven. God wants you to trust in His timing to deliver you according to His plan.

Trust: When You Are Under Attack, Trust God to Be Fair and Just.

David responded to the attacks against him by praising God for being just and fair. When you are under attack, God also wants you to trust Him to be fair and just in your situation. David responded to his attackers by trusting God to be fair and just in his situation. David trusted in God’s righteous rule when his enemies attacked him.

For you have upheld my just cause;
you are seated on your throne as a righteous judge.
⁵ You have rebuked the nations:
You have destroyed the wicked;
you have erased their name forever and ever.
⁶ The enemy has come to eternal ruin;
you have uprooted the cities,
and the very memory of them has perished.

⁷ But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
⁸ And he judges the world with righteousness;
he executes judgment on the nations with fairness.

Psalm 9:4-9

Satan is temporarily the ruler of this world. Yet, Jesus will one day come to reclaim the Earth and rule with righteousness for all eternity.

Trust God to be just and fair in His judgments. David promised that God’s final judgments would be just and fair. He knew that the King of Kings will reign forever (Ps 10:16). He will righteously judge all the nations of the Earth (Ps. 67:4, Ps. 58:11, Ps. 75:2, Ps. 89:14, Ps. 96:10, Ps. 97:2, Ps. 98:9, Ps. 102:12). Even when things feel unfair during your trials, you can trust God to ultimately be just and fair with you.

Pray for God to vindicate you instead of seeking your own vengeance. David prayed for God to vindicate him when he was attacked (Ps. 9:4). David did not attempt to seek vengeance or take matters into his own hands (Ps. 35:1, 25, Ps. 43:1, 1 Sam. 24:12, 15). Instead of trying to right the wrongs against you, God also wants you to give your burdens to Him. Even if His timing is not your timing, He will be just and fair to you.

God will one day judge unrepentant sin. David warned that unrepentant sinners would one day face God’s final judgment. “But the way of the wicked will perish.” (Ps. 1:6, Ps. 9:5, Ps. 11:6, Ps. 34:16, Ex. 32:33, Ps. 69:28). You should never interpret God’s withheld judgment as a license to sin. God may withhold judgment to give sinners the chance to repent.

Third, David responded to his attackers by professing that God is a “stronghold” for those who seek Him. When you are under attack, God also wants you to seek Him and depend upon Him for your protection.

Dependence: When You Are Under Attack, Depend Upon God’s Protection.

When attacked, David professed that God is a stronghold for those who seek Him. Also as our example, David depended upon God when attacked and sought out His protection.

The Lord is a refuge for the persecuted,
a refuge in times of trouble.
¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you
because you have not abandoned
those who seek you, Lord.

Psalm 9:9-10

David had the faith to seek refuge in God when attacked. He did not rely upon his own strength or abilities to defeat his enemies.

God can be your shield when you take refuge in Him. In his song of deliverance, David proclaimed that God was his shield (2 Sam. 22:3, Ps. 5:12, Ps. 32:7, Gen. 15:1, Dt. 33:29). If you are under attack, depend upon God and let Him be your shield of protection.

Trust God to never leave you or forsake you. David proclaimed in faith God would not abandon believers who seek Him (Ps. 9:10, Ps. 27:9, Ps. 37:28, Ps. 94:14). You can also trust that God will never leave you or forsake you. He wants you to cry out to Him and put your trust in Him.

Worship: When Attacked, Keep Your Mind on God Through Worship.

David also responded to his attackers by singing worship songs. When you are attacked, God also wants you to turn your mind from yourself to Him through worship. When attacked, David responded by singing with worship to keep his mind on God. David strengthened his faith through songs of praise for God’s faithfulness.

Sing to the Lord, who dwells in Zion;
proclaim his deeds among the nations.
¹² For the one who seeks an accounting
for bloodshed remembers them;
he does not forget the cry of the oppressed.

Psalm 9:11-12

David had the faith to know that God never forgets those who are in need. The blood of the innocent pollutes the Earth (Nu. 35:33-34). It also cries out to God (Gen. 4:10; 2 Kgs. 9:26). God will avenge the blood of the innocent.

Worship God to focus on His faithfulness when you are attacked. Regardless of the circumstances, David repeatedly sang songs of gratitude for His faithfulness (1 Chr. 16:8-9, Ps. 105:1, Ps. 106:1). If you only worship God when times are good, you may fail to depend upon Him during your trials.

Praise God through songs that He loves you and cares about you. David praised God for remembering those who are in need (Ps. 9:12). Because He created us, every life is precious to God: “He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, and their blood will be precious in his sight;” (Ps. 72:14). “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His godly ones.” (Ps. 116:15). God loved you enough to send His only son to die for you (Jo. 3:16). Thus, you can rejoice that He cares when you suffer.

 Humility: When You Are Attacked, Approach God in Humility.

David pleaded for God’s mercy in case sin had removed God’s hedge of protection. David knew that God acts through grace, not because of our self-righteousness. When you are attacked, God also wants you to approach Him in humility for His assistance. 

When attacked, David approached God with humility by pleading for God’s grace. David also pleaded for God’s grace to deliver him from death and protect him.

¹³ Be gracious to me, Lord;
consider my affliction at the hands of those who hate me.
Lift me up from the gates of death,
¹⁴ so that I may declare all your praises.
I will rejoice in your salvation
within the gates of Daughter Zion.

Psalm 9:13-14

David knew that God does not help us because of our self-righteousness. Instead, He acts out of grace.

God will lift you up when you humble yourself before Him. David approached God in humility (Ps. 9:13) and he knew that God lifts up the humble (Ps. 10:12, Ps. 9:13-14, Ps. 30:3, Ps. 86:13). Because God delivered David from “the depths of Sheol” there was no enemy on Earth that David needed to fear. You also do not need to fear any evil when you trust God.

If you act with humility before God, you will also reap grace and honor. Jesus humbled Himself as a servant. He then died an agonizing death on the cross.

he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.

Philippians 2:8

He calls upon you to respond by serving Him in humility (Prov. 8:13; Ps. 75:5; 94:4). Those who show humility before God will be exalted in heaven (Matt. 23:12, Lk. 14:11; 18:14, Pet. 5:6, Ja. 4:10, Ja. 2:5). Are you honoring and praising Jesus as He deserves?

Share your testimony with others when God delivers you.

David sought out God’s deliverance not for his own glory. Instead, he pleaded for deliverance: “so that I may tell of all Your praises.” (Ps. 9:14). David has much more than his own benefit and well-being in mind. Even his deliverance is a way for God to bring more glory to Himself. David did not see his rescue as the final goal. The goal was always God’s greater glory. When God delivers you, share your testimony with others. If you fail to share His deliverance, you may take all the credit.

Hope: When You Are Attacked, Place Your Hope in God For Victory.

David placed his hope in God’s future victory. When you are attacked, you should also place your hope in God for victory.  In the face of the unknown, David placed his hope in God to one day prevail over all the evil nations.

¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they made;
their foot is caught in the net they have concealed.
¹⁶ The Lord has made himself known;
he has executed justice,
snaring the wicked
by the work of their hands.Higgaion. Selah

Psalm 9:15-16

David did not place his hope in his own victory, rather he placed his hope in God’s victory, and he knew that God’s victory would come in His timing.

The unsaved will be repaid according to their deeds. David was not pleading for the destruction of his enemies. He instead trusted God to prevail over evil and bring evil into judgment.

For the unsaved, Jesus promised that:

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done.

Matthew 16:27

Paul teaches us:

He will repay each one according to his works:

Romans 2:6

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Gal. 6:7-8 See also Job 4:8, Hos. 8:7, Prov. 22:8). You do not need to take vengeance into your own hands when you are attacked. You can trust God to judge all things. But He will do so in His timing, not yours.

Put your hope in God for deliverance. David knew that he could find hope in God because David feared God by hating evil (Ps 145:19, 1 John 5:14). If you are filled with fear, put your hope in God to deliver you.

Petition: When You Are Attacked, Petition God For Your Deliverance.

Finally, David concluded with a petition for God to deliver him. When you are attacked, God also wants you to petition Him for your deliverance.David responded to his attackers by petitioning God for his deliverance. David concluded his psalm of praise with a petition for God to deliver him from his enemies.

¹⁷ The wicked will return to Sheol—
all the nations that forget God.
¹⁸ For the needy will not always be forgotten;
the hope of the oppressed will not perish forever.

¹⁹ Rise up, Lord! Do not let mere humans prevail;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
²⁰ Put terror in them, Lord;
let the nations know they are only humans.Selah

Psalm 9:17-20

David was not being selfish in petitioning God. Instead, he showed his faith by placing his trust in God. God also wants you to follow David’s example by crying out when you are in need.

Cry out to God, when you need deliverance. David cried out in faith “Arise, Lord,” (Ps. 9:19). He was not being presumptuous. He instead knew that he could cry out to God for deliverance from his enemies (Ps. 3:4, Ps. 4:3, Ps. 6:8, Ps. 18:6, Ps. 28:6). If you are in need of deliverance, cry out to God.

Pray also for others in need of deliverance. God also wants you to pray for others. In response to Moses’ prayers, God repeatedly spared the Jews (Ex. 32:11-14; Nu. 14:18-22; 16:21-24). The apostles also continually prayed for others (2 Tim. 1:3, Col. 1:9, Eph. 1:16, 1 Thess. 3:10). If you know someone who is under physical or spiritual attack, are you earnestly praying for their deliverance?