Psalm 68:11-23
11 The Lord announced the word,
and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
12 “Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder.
13 Even while you sleep among the campfires,
the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold.”
14 When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.
15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan.
16 Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands;
the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.
18 When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train;
you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious—
that you, O LORD God, might dwell there.
19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah
20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.
21 Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes,
while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”
As a new year begins, we may feel a quiet tension. We are hopeful, but we are also realistic. We know there will be challenges ahead: responsibilities we didn’t choose, burdens we didn’t plan for, and resistance we cannot avoid. Psalm 68 speaks into that space with a powerful and comforting truth: the God who is victorious is also the God who stays close.
In Psalm 68:11–23, God is described in bold, triumphant language. He is a conquering king who scatters enemies and secures victory for his people. Messengers proclaim good news, kings flee, and God’s power is undeniable. Yet in the middle of this victory song comes one of the most tender lines in the psalm: “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” (v. 19).
This is the heart of the passage. God’s victory is not distant or impersonal. It is not the triumph of a ruler who wins and then withdraws. Instead, it is the victory of a Savior who draws close enough to carry what weighs us down.
When we think about the months ahead, it is easy to focus on what we must overcome: difficult conversations, uncertain outcomes, ongoing struggles, or quiet fears. We do not face these realities on our own. The God who reigns over all things is also the God who bears our burdens day by day.
Notice the rhythm of that promise. God does not carry everything all at once so that we never feel strain again. He carries our burdens daily. Grace is given for today. Strength is supplied as needed. Faith is sustained one step at a time. This is not a promise of an easy year, but a promise of God’s faithful presence in every day of it.
When Paul quotes this Psalm in Ephesians 4:8, he reminds us the victorious Christ does not ascend in order to leave his people behind, but to give gifts—to equip, strengthen, and build up his church. His victory results in blessing. His power serves his love. His presence is new every day.
That same pattern shapes our trust as we begin another year. We trust that God will meet resistance we cannot avoid. We trust that God will carry burdens we cannot manage. And we trust that God’s victories, whether dramatic or quiet, are always aimed at mercy, not distance.
As you step into this year, you do not do so alone, and you do not do so in your own strength. God walks with you. He bears what you cannot. He guards what you cannot see. And he remains present, faithful, and near.
Prayer: Praise be to you, Lord, our Savior, who does not merely win battles, but stays with us and goes with us—today, tomorrow, and throughout the year. AMEN