Advancing Encouragement By:
Bishop James Jr. Hairston

Psalms: 55:18: He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

David had many haters and his enemies were approaching him yet, in the mist of his battles he proclaimed peace in his soul by the power of God. Notice I said in the mist of his battles. Here, I believe David is proclaiming deliverance even before receiving deliverance in its manifestation, (read verse 19). David was for sure that His God was going to deliver him from all of his enemies, for He has done it before and surely He can do it again and again and again. For this reason of David being assured by God because of his deliverance in the past that He will do it again brings peace to his soul. It is like saying if God is for us who can be against us, Romans 8:31 and another Psalmist wrote: Psalms 118:6, The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? Believing both of these scriptures and taking ownership of them surely brings me peace able to trust in God all the more. In the second part of David’s Psalm it was said for there were many with me. There are different views on this in my study and other translations say many were against him why, David’s writings always imply many against him. However, this language conveys to us the idea that there were many on his side, or many that were associated with him either enemies fighting with him; and so this is mentioned to set forth the more the power of God in his deliverance: or friends, who were on his side. Is this the meaning of the original what it is conveying to us and negating other passages that refers to many against him such as Psalms 56: 2, Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. I believe David was minding of those that were in battle with him knowing that he was not fighting all of his enemies alone. David did have loyal comrades, associates, and soldiers around him and he could have easily made a transition from many being against him to many being with him in battle. Therefore, it is important to all of us as believers to be in battle with our brothers and sisters in Christ! Let us not go alone into battle for the scripture say’s if God is for us not if God is for me! You are not alone in your battle and we stand in battle together to defeat every enemy that comes up against the Church of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. God can and will give you peace through it all therefore, you have two comforts to rest on; if God delivered you before He will do it again, and you have a great cloud of believers that salute you and are praying for you that God will deliver you and give you peace in Jesus Name…

James Jr. Hairston