Psalm 60: How to be with God

"Help from man is useless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies." (Psalm 60:11)

It is deeply related to the war mentioned in 2 Samuel 8:13 and following chapters. David's army won a great victory in the war, with Joab killing 12,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley. However, instead of singing a victory song, David asks for God's presence. Why did David do this? Even though Israel won the war, he knew that victory without God was meaningless. God's presence was more precious to him than victory in the war.

However, if we go beyond 2 Samuel 8 and move to chapter 11, David kills Uriah. His righteousness is not eternal, like the saying "Help from man is useless." David had to constantly check whether he was in front of God or not. Therefore, "God's presence" is another way of saying "I am in front of God."