January 26, 2009
I CALLED TO THE LORD, AND HE HEARD MY VOICE!
Psalm 18
Jeannie Lewis
Central Truth
Have you ever been in the pit of despair and cried out to the Lord for help? Have you praised Him when He came to your rescue? David is doing just that in this beautiful passage, praising God for being his deliverer, his rock, his shelter, his place of refuge.
Key Verse | Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer. My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge. (Psalm 18:2)
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;
1
18:4
Or terrified 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.
7
Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8
Smoke went up from his nostrils,
2
18:8
Or in his wrath
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9
He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
10
He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.
12
Out of the brightness before him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13
The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14
And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16
He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
17
He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
18
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the LORD was my support.
19
He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
20
The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21
For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22
For all his rules
3
18:22
Or just decrees
were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23
I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
24
So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25
With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26
with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27
For you save a humble people,
but the haughty eyes you bring down.
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;
4
18:30
Or blameless
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.
35
You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your gentleness made me great.
36
You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37
I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38
I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39
For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40
You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
5
18:40
Or You gave me my enemies' necks
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41
They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
42
I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
I cast them out like the mire of the streets.
43
You delivered me from strife with the people;
you made me the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.
44
As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
foreigners came cringing to me.
45
Foreigners lost heart
and came trembling out of their fortresses.
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.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 18
When I read this passage, I immediately thought of Josh, my precious 26-year-old Marine. He has served two combat tours in Iraq, celebrating his 22nd birthday during the Fallujah campaign and his 23rd birthday during the Ramadi campaign—not the way our family normally recognizes such important events.
Josh received quite a bit of persecution for his beliefs while he was with this unit, but he continued to share his faith. He told them he knew God was in control of his life and that people at home were praying for him. Like David, he had many opportunities to call upon the Lord.
One particular day, Josh and his team leader found themselves in a terrible conflict with the enemy. Struggling to get back to their post, bullets were hitting the wall directly behind them with each step they took. Being incredibly outnumbered, they were eventually surrounded, and Josh felt certain they would not survive (verses 4-5). He prayed harder than he had ever prayed, pleading for God's help (verse 6). Then out of nowhere, an armored Humvee burst through, its machine gun providing cover and allowing them to scramble to safety (verses 17-19).
Josh later told the unit that they had survived because of God and prayer. After that, several men in his squad would tell him it was fine if any of his "people" wanted to pray for them while they were out on patrol. Josh told his dad he knew the Lord had rescued them that day (verses 29-32). There was no other explanation. The Marines trained Josh for battle, but the personal relationship he had with the Lord prepared him for the real battle he faced that day—that of placing his trust in God (verses 34-35), and he was quick to give the Lord praise (verses 46, 48-49).
God rescues me daily from my own battles. They certainly aren't as dramatic as the ones my son fought in Iraq, but the temptations to stray are great. I am so thankful the Lord is my stronghold, my deliverer, my place of shelter, and my refuge. How about you?
Discussion Questions
1. Do you wait until the bullets are flying before you ask God for help? (Psalm 18:6) Or, do you go to Him with everything, no matter what the circumstance? (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Philippians 4:6-7)
2. Do you share with others when you see God working in your life? (Matthew 9:27-31, Acts 26:8-29)
3. Do you understand how He can equip you? (Psalm 119:11, 105; Proverbs 3:5-6)