Psalm 18 - David Can't Praise God Enough!




1 
I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

This is the fourth longest psalm in the bible, counting some 50 verses.  The context is David is giving God extravagant praise for delivering him from death, at the hands of King Saul. Before David became King, he spent 20 years as a fugitive after the young shepherd boy was called into service of God. 

David starts this psalm of praise by telling God he loves him. Other versions translate it, "I will love you!" "This was a triumphant declaration made it a time of great triumph.  David wasn't bitter against God, as if he said, "Well, it's about time You delivered me." Instead he was grateful that the years of trouble had done something good and necessary in his life." - Guzik

In verse two, it is almost as if David doesn't have enough words to describe what God means to him.  He says, "My rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my shield ...."  The word "rock" meant several things in David's time.  A rock provided much needed shade from the sun and heat.  A rock had cracks and crevices that could be used to hide out from out from enemies.  David used them in this way a lot.  Finally, it was a firm place to put one's foot, as opposed to the sinking sand.  It is in this sense that Jesus gives the apostle Peter his name, which meant "the rock"  Later Jesus he would be the rock on which he would build his church.

David gives us a great example of how to pray by giving thanks and praise to God.  He had experienced God in a deeply personal way, and could not help but offer God praise in the most vivid terms.  Why was David so grateful and filled with praise?  Because David put all of his trust in God and God was faithful to and delivered him from death. 

We often talk about a prayer time, maybe we should have a "praise time"! What do you think? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more