Psalm 18
The LORD Is My Rock and My Fortress
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, WHO ADDRESSED THE WORDS OF THIS SONG TO THE LORD
ON THE DAY WHEN THE LORD DELIVERED HIM FROM THE HAND OF ALL HIS ENEMIES, AND FROM THE HAND OF SAUL.
HE SAID:
1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
Psalms 18:1-6
We give all glory and praise to our Heavenly Father. Indeed, He is all things to us, truly a very present help in that He is, as David says and proclaims: Our Strength, our Rock, our Fortress and our Deliverer.
God, our Father, is our Shield; He is the Horn of our salvation, and He is our Stronghold! Halleluyah!
And as I keep going through these verses, we take heart just as David did, for the reasons David stated – for as the Lord helped Him, as the Lord saved him from his enemies, so we, through Christ, are helped, and we are saved from our enemies as well.
As the Lord heard David’s voice, and his cries to Him, so we are sure and secure that the Lord hears us when we call out to Him.
Here we have more grounds, more reason to give praise to God!
Indeed, it is as that one Elevation song goes:
Jesus’s name will break every stronghold,
Freedom is ours when we call His name!
Jesus’s name above every other,
All hail the power of Jesus’s name!
28 For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
29 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
Psalms 18:28-34
Indeed, we thank God, for not only does He help us by way of saving us from our enemies; Not only does He help us by way of hearing us when we call to Him, but, see here, He strengthens us so we are not only protected from being overcome, but we ourselves are the ones overcoming!
He shines light over us, He strengthens us to run constantly and swiftly, much so that we are able to leap over walls and obstacles.
Not only does He strengthen us, but He clears the path ahead of us, making our way ‘blameless‘.
And, see here: Not only does He strengthen our feet to run swiftly, but He establishes us, setting us ‘secure on the heights‘.
Taking a pause here, I’m just thankful because we have a God who not only establishes our body, but the ground on where we stand, and on where we may tread.
And to top all this off, not only are our feet strengthened and consequently established, but, see, our hands are trained for war as well.
46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me,
48 who rescued me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from the man of violence.
49 For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name.
50 Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.
Psalms 18:46-50
What else can we do, but sing praises to our God for His overwhelming glory and grace?
And, in these verses, we also see just how complete and how absolute of a Father our God is – He helps us, completely!
He helps us from the outside in, protecting us from our enemies, serving as both refuge and rock.
He also helps us from the inside out, strengthening us, blessing our hands for war, blessing our feet for running!
Indeed, how else can we respond to this, but to give thanks to God, and to praise Him?
Father, thank You for this morning, and thank You, because not only are we kept clear from the attacks of those who call themselves our enemies, but we are also strengthened and established not merely to stand, but to walk and to go forth in faith.
As this day continues to unfold, we also continue to give thanks, knowing that You are always with us, as Protector, as Power… indeed, as our Father. Thank You, Father!
In the name of Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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