Psalms for Soldiers

by Jocelyn Green, author of Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives

patrioticbible When your husband is deployed, how do you encourage him? There are many ways, but perhaps one of the best is through God’s Word. I find it so interesting that King David of the Bible, who was named “a man after God’s own heart,” was also a warrior. It is no wonder, then, that the psalms are full of verses that speak to a soldier’s heart–(using the term loosely to refer to all U.S. military service members).

There are plenty of other verses throughout the Bible that speak to warriors as well, but today’s post focuses on just some of the treasures found in Psalms. I have interviewed several soldiers and veterans who have found special strength in the entire chapters of Psalm 91 and Psalm 121. See for yourself from the verses below which ones may boost your husband’s spirit.

The Lord watches over you
“For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalm 1:6).

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

“My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart” (Psalm 7:10).

“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great” (Psalm 18:32-35).

“My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him” (Psalm 89:21).

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:7-10).

The Lord is a refuge
“Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. . . I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:1, 8).

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7).

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3).

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2).

Be not afraid
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

“The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Then evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:1-4).

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4).

“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. . . If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent” (Psalm 91:5-7,9,10). Read the entire psalm.

Trust in the Lord
“The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice” (Psalm 9:7-8).

“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you” (Psalm 33:16-22).

“But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me” (Psalm 31:14-15).

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). Read the entire psalm.