Why Strength and Numbers Won’t Save You | Psalm 33:16 Devotional + Workout

Devotional

“The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.”

I chose Psalm 33:16 as the first of many Psalms that we will discuss. This verse is an important reminder to those of us who care about our strength, that no matter how strong we become, it is not our strength that delivers us. Only God can save us.

Although not explicitly written, Psalm 33 is attributed to King David. For those that remember the story of David and Goliath, you will recognize that David is not just blindly writing songs. He speaks from experience.

In the story of David and Goliath, Goliath was described as “6 cubits and a span”, which is roughly 9 feet, 9 inches tall. The chain mail of his coat was listed as weighing 5000 shekels of bronze, which is roughly 125 lbs. More impressively, the head of his spear weighed 600 shekels of iron, which is nearly 17 lbs.

Goliath’s undeniable strength instilled fear in the hearts of Saul and the Israelites. Moreover, the Philistines were said to possess an army as numerous as the grains of sand on the sea. It would require someone of unwavering faith to believe that the sheer size and might of an army held no significance.

There was one man that approached the giant unafraid, and he is the author of todays Psalm, so I believe it to be worthwhile to listen to what he has to say about a great army and strength!

It’s important to know that although this verse talks about strength not being the source of victory or deliverance, I am not saying it is not important. David was no weakling. In 1 Samuel 17:36, David says of himself, “‘Your servant has struck down both lions and bears’..”. This was all in his youth, too!

What separated David’s strength was knowing that it came from the Lord. He said in 1 Samuel 17:37, “‘The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’..”

I believe it is our responsibility to continually improve ourselves so that when the Lord calls our name, we will be prepared.

Workout

Below is the workout for the day.

Three things to consider when completing this workout:

1. It’s important when lifting heavier weight that you warm-up thoroughly. For reference, I did 5 warm up sets before completing 4 sets of squats. There is no one size fits all for warm-ups, just ensure that your body is ready to roll.

2. For back extensions, I recommend adding weight with a barbell, using a snatch grip. Using a band or plate will work as well, I have just found that using snatch grip provides a better stretch for me.

3. Treat the deficit reverse lunges as cardio. For the height, I recommend using three bumper plates stacked on each other (use two if three reduces stability). The deficit should be tall and the movement should be quick. Try to work up a really good sweat while also getting a deep stretch.

Barbell Back Squat

4 sets of 3 reps

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

4 sets of 8 reps

Superset

Back Extension or Hyperextension

4 sets of 12 reps

Barbell Standing Calf Raise

4 sets of 12 reps

Deficit Reverse Lunge

4 sets of 8 reps each leg