We Shall Do Valiantly

Ruth Taylor
February 1, 2008.


I am a poet. I am drawn to the Psalms, and the Psalms are drawn on me. Long ago, I began an adventure; writing the Psalms in my own God-given voice. As I allow the Psalms into me, they work through me, and I believe that the Word is made manifest, in flesh–on the paper, prophetically, in front of me.

I call this daily exercise, Psalming. Psalming is not difficult. Anyone can do it. You can have your own Psalming adventure, if you sit down with the Word, and write God a love letter, today. A love letter consists of your heart, shared with the Father. Let the Spirit open you up to who you are, deep inside. Allow Him to tell you how He feels about your deep, answering to His deep.

So, it’s no surprise that, when I was praying about 2008, God gave me a Psalm. Psalm 144. This Psalming download was so quick, that I could hardly write fast enough.

Numerically, 144 is a product of 2 x 6 x 2 x 6. Six is the number of man; all that is connected with human endeavors. I asked the Lord what this meant, and He said, “Ephraim,” which means, doubly fruitful. Verse 14 says, “Fill our barns with great harvest, fill our fields with huge flocks; Protect us from invasion and exile–eliminate the crime in our streets” (The Message Remix). The NASB Version, says, “Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce, and our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields . . . let our cattle (or, all that we account for as our earthly treasures) burst forth, without mishap (abortion) and without loss” (vss. 13-14). If we honor the Lord from our wealth, the first of our produce, He promises that our barns will be filled with plenty and our vats overflow with new wine.

The number 144 is also the product of 12 x 12. Twelve is governmental perfection–only the Kingdom come among us could bring about this kind of governmental Ephraim! (2008 is an election year)

The number 144 is also a product of 3 x 4 x 3 x 4. Since 12 is a product of 3 (the perfectly Divine and heavenly number) and 4 (the earthly, the number of what is material and organic) I again see confirmation of Ephraim, a double blessing from the Divine over our work—all our work. And, in all this doubling, I am reminded that this is the year to look for strategic parings.

In my Bible, Psalm 144 is titled, the Psalm of Rescue and Prosperity. I believe that 2008 is the Year in which God will show Himself GREAT IN 2008! The Lord of the Sabaoth is in the house–God of the Angel Armies.

Psalm 144 begins like this: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle,” (I especially like this, as I am a writer, and the thought of warrior fingers typing away on my computer, delights me!), “. . . My lovingkindness, my fortress, my stronghold, my deliver, my shield, my refuge. . . God, Who subdues peoples under me”(NASB, vss. 1,2). This says to me that He has equipped His people to war, to win, and then to have authority, over the territory taken. Andre Gide said, “The capacity to get free is nothing; the capacity to be free, that is the task.”

So, warriors, you know who you are! Jeremiah 51: 19-23 tells of the exploits of those who have been armed with the “double-edged” axe, mappeetz, or battle axe! “The portion of Jacob is not like these [warriors]; For the Maker of all is He, And [they are] of the tribe of His inheritance; The Lord of the Angel Armies is His name, He says, ‘You are My battleaxe, My weapon of war; And with you I shatter nations, And with you I destroy kingdoms . . . And with you I shatter governors and prefects.’”

“Bow the heavens, O Lord, and come down; Touch the mountains, that they may smoke. Flash forth lightening and scatter them; Send out Thy arrows and confuse [the enemy]” (Ps. 144:5-6).

A history of ancient Greek and Roman warfare (200 B.C.) where the battle axe was used, notes that “although the battle axe was wieldable on horseback, its main use was with the foot soldier who, with nerve and skill, could get at the side of a horseman, down his mount, and put him at a deadly disadvantage. Those foot soldiers, armed with the battle axe, often decided the battle.” A foot soldier is usually of the lowest rank. This is where the meek will inherit; meek is a term used for training a war horse (s) [as in a pair of horses used to pull a chariot] for battle. These pairs did not flinch, even in the heat of battle, because he or she has been so trained to respond only to the Master’s command, and not to the circumstances.

There is also a generational anointing upon our youth, that they will be doubly fruitful, in 2008. Vs. 12 says, “Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants, and our daughters a corner pillars fashioned as for a palace.” And this will happen, when mothers and fathers begin to be:

“One generation [which will] praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts (praising is hard-wired into us, if we don’t Praise God, we will praise something). On the glorious splendor of Thy majesty, and on Thy wonderful works, I will meditate. And men shall speak of the power of Thy awesome acts; And I will tell of Thy greatness. They shall bubble over with the memory of Thine abundant goodness, And shall shout joyfully of Thy righteousness” (Ps. 145:4-7).

This praise stuff is catching—one generation will pass it on to the next, and to the next, and to the next! “See God on parade to the sanctuary, my God, my King on the march! Singers out front, the band behind, maidens in the middle with castanets. The whole choir blesses God!” (Ps. 28:24-26, Message Remix)

I have seen The Captain of the Angel Armies on the mountain. The army is amassing. Christ's warhorse is frothing at the mouth, stamping its front feet, its nostrils are flaring, and the horse is nearly heaving over the edge of the cliff with every breath of anticipation. This huge, white steed's muscles twitch with vigor, like an electric current that constantly travels through it. The horse upon which Christ sits, claws with hooves which make sparks of lightening (like flint on stone) that shoot out from the precipice. There are angels, sent ones, ascending and descending. The noise is unbearable, and yet there is no sense of chaos, or mayhem in His camp—only singular purpose. Only One Commander.

“With God we will do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries” (Ps. 60:12). valiantly