Written by: Carol Walker - Interserve
Psalm 18 v 1-6
I love you, LORD. You are my strength.
The LORD is my rock, my protection, my Saviour.
My God is my rock.
I can run to him for safety.
He is my shield and my saving strength, my defender.
I will call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I will be saved from my
enemies.
The ropes of death came around me; the deadly rivers overwhelmed me.
The ropes of death wrapped around me.
The traps of death were before me.
In my trouble I called to the LORD.
I cried out to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice; my call for help reached his ears.
Notes
As you read these opening verses of Psalm 18 did you notice the way the first
line is different from what follows?
Psalm 18 lasts for fifty verses, and all these verses - the whole psalm - are also to be found at the climax of the account of the life of the great king David, in 2 Samuel 22. We are told there that David sang the words of this song to the Lord when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies. It is a “thank you” song that recalls the thrill that God, the Lord, delivered him.
Or rather, in 2 Samuel 22 this is a “thank you” song. The additional opening line of Psalm 18 turns our version into a love song. Like a private and intimate conversation before the public announcement, the psalmist confides, “I love you, Lord. You are my strength.”
David had special reasons for bursting with love for God. If God was his rock, that did not mean he was cold and impassive like an idol; the Lord is not even merely a God who acts, but he hears and responds to the cry for help. David had experienced salvation at the Lord’s hand and knew he could count on it again. And you?
If you have said, “I love you” to God then you too probably have a special reason. Our love can be drawn by beauty, brilliance or all kinds of things, but lasting love comes when we know ourselves loved. “This is what real love is: it is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us in sending his Son to be the way to take away our sins... We love because God first loved us” (1 John 4 v 10,19). Do you?
Prayer
Lord, I love you and thank you for sending your Son for my sake, that I might
have hope of eternal life. You are my saviour, my shield and defender. Keep
me safe today. Amen
Psalm 18 v 7-15
The earth trembled and shook.
The foundations of the mountains began to shake.
They trembled because the LORD was angry.
Smoke came out of his nose, and burning fire came out of his mouth.
Burning coals went before him.
He tore open the sky and came down with dark clouds under his feet.
He rode a creature with wings and flew.
He raced on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his shelter around him, surrounded by fog and
clouds.
Out of the brightness of his presence came clouds with hail and lightning.
The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High raised his voice, and there was
hail and lightning.
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies.
His many bolts of lightning confused them with fear.
LORD, you spoke strongly.
The wind blew from your nose.
Then the valleys of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the earth were
seen.
Notes
Burning coals. Tearing sky. A creature racing on the wind, slicing through
the air, whilst lightning flashes and burning coals hurtle across the sky,
followed by arrows that splatter against the shields of enemy hordes causing
them to scatter and flee. If you have seen the “Lord of the Rings” films
you are probably already imagining Gandalf reining back his white steed,
as he takes in the scene of God’s judgement and vindication. And so you should,
for Tolkien, the writer of “The Lord of the Rings”, had his imagination shaped
by the fantastic imagery of the Bible.
The description in Psalm 18 is an evocation of the awesomeness of God, rather than a listing of precise detail of what did, or will, happen in a particular battle. When the Lord unleashes the full extent of his anger it is scary, for he is unstoppably powerful. He IS the Most High. If he raises his voice, watch out. It is wise not to be his enemy but, instead, to acknowledge what these verses graphically declare: he IS Lord.
There have been great moments when the trembling of the earth, and the flashing of lightning, has caused people to recognise the power of God at work. It is no surprise that at the moment Jesus died on the cross, “the earth shook and the rocks broke apart” so that those who saw all that happened were terrified and exclaimed: “He really was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27 v 51,54). At this moment the anger of the Lord was demonstrated, as everything was set in motion for the vindication of Jesus, the Anointed One of God. The hardest and greatest battle had been won. That happened. It is no fantasy.
Prayer
Awesome God, ruler of heaven and earth, please use your power to bring just
rule in places in the world where the needy are exploited. Bless and vindicate
those who seek to bring that justice. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen
Psalm 18 v 16-19
The LORD reached down from above and took me; he pulled me from the deep water.
He saved me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me, because they
were too strong for me.
They attacked me at my time of trouble, but the LORD supported me.
He took me to a safe place.
Because he delights in me, he saved me.
Notes
I spent some years in Egypt. One busy day, soon after I had had some major
surgery, tired and with too much to do, I got into the ladies’ carriage on
the Cairo underground metro. There were no vacant seats. I could have cried,
but instead silently prayed. Next thing, a young woman opposite offered her
seat to me. I thought she was getting off. When, after the next stop she
was still standing in the carriage, I realised that she had given the seat
out of kindness and I spoke with her. She reached into her handbag and drew
out a little text card to give me. Before she handed her card to me, the
young woman wrote on the back of it.
I have the card still. For me, on the back, were written the words, “Trust God and he will help you.” The picture on the other side is of Jesus rescuing a lamb stuck on a rock face. It is accompanied by Arabic text saying, “Jesus came to seek and to save the lost” (from Luke 19 v 10). They are a precious reminder that the Lord who reached down to me in England a long time ago does not change. He is the rescuing God.
The psalmist tells about his experience of being saved, and made
safe by God. He uses words that could also describe the later experience of
Jesus who was crucified by powerful enemies, but rose from the dead. Not only
does Jesus save the lost; he has also gone ahead into the safe place, providing
us with the sure hope of safety when we trust in his saving love.
Prayer
Risen Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for saving me, supporting me and for keeping
me safe. Thank you for each person around the world who has been changed by
you, and who shares the message of your love. Bless each one and keep them
safe. Amen
Psalms 18 v 20-24
The LORD spared me because I did what was right.
Because I have not done evil, he has rewarded me.
I have followed the ways of the LORD;
I have not done evil by turning away from my God.
I remember all his laws and have not broken his rules.
I am innocent before him;
I have kept myself from doing evil.
The LORD rewarded me because I did what was right, because I did what the LORD
said was right.
Notes
To be innocent is not to be naïve.
Being innocent involves saying “yes” to the good and “no” to the things that defile (ie, that are evil). Because of the ways in which adverts bombard us from the billboards, or sneak into our presence via the internet, it can be hard to remain innocent. We are always being enticed to try unfamiliar things. That is why it is so important to continue to read scripture, letting it sit in our minds to aid the development of our ideas. At one point scripture says to us: “…be wise about what is good and innocent in what is evil [then] the God who brings peace will soon defeat Satan and give you power over him” (Romans 16 v 19-20).
Jesus was an innocent man. He was not naïve. He did not
succumb to the silly suggestions and pressures of other people, for he knew
what was going on in people’s hearts. He faced temptation by Satan to compromise,
but said “no” (Matthew 4 v 1-11). As an adult he had to make choices; he chose
to live under the guidance of scripture. Like the writer of Psalm 18, he could
say: “I have followed the ways of the Lord”. God’s laws guide us in the way
of innocence.
Following the ways of the Lord does involve choosing to say “no” to some things.
Whilst that is not always deemed cool by those we live around, it is wise.
Three times the psalmist shows that innocence includes NOT doing things - check
the passage and see. But true innocence also takes action, like the good Samaritan
who showed love without a second thought.
May God give you wisdom and help you to do what is right today.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for failing to do the good I want to do to please you. Show
me your ways so that I might follow them and live a life of innocence to
your glory. Amen
Psalm 18 v 25-29
LORD, you are loyal to those who are loyal, and you are good to those who are
good.
You are pure to those who are pure, but you are against those who are bad.
You save the humble, but you bring down those who are proud.
LORD, you give light to my lamp.
My God brightens the darkness around me.
With your help I can attack an army.
With God’s help I can jump over a wall.
Notes
There are things that we only find out about God when we act (that is, take
action) in faith.
I remember the first time I gave away the equivalent money that I would normally spend on a week of food shopping, as a student. It felt very risky. No one knew what I had done except God, and I entered a new world where I found that he provided in abundance.
Some people hover in indecision, saying, “What if…?”, and even cheat just a little bit in case things don’t work out. A couple in the early church called Ananias and Sapphira did just that (Acts 5 v 1-11). They not only missed out on discovering how sufficient God’s care is, they died because their behaviour was dishonouring to God. God can be trusted but not toyed with.
The testimony given in today’s passage is by one who has tested God by doing good. He was loyal, pure and humble. Like the line in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us…”, we are reminded that our actions should echo what we hope from God. When they do we are able to face all kinds of challenges, for the adventure of discovering God’s sufficiency has begun.
As the line of an old hymn goes: “Faith laughs at impossibilities and cries, ‘It shall be done!’”
Prayer
I pray for Christian leaders, especially in places like the Congo and Rwanda,
where community strife has created difficult situations. Be with them as
their strength and guide, so that they may have moral courage to bring about
good changes, which others think impossible. Amen
Psalm 18 v 30-36
The ways of God are without fault.
The LORD’s words are pure.
He is a shield to those who trust him.
Who is God? Only the LORD.
Who is the Rock? Only our God.
God is my protection.
He makes my way free from fault.
He makes me like a deer that does not stumble; he helps me stand on the steep
mountains.
He trains my hands for battle so my arms can bend a bronze bow.
You protect me with your saving shield.
You support me with your right hand.
You have stooped to make me great.
You give me a better way to live, so I live as you want me to.
Notes
As his God, so the man. As her God, so the woman. The focus of our devotion
will shape our lives and our values. Indeed, there are some countries in
the world where Christians are not allowed to go and tell others the Good
News of Jesus, yet they find themselves regularly leading individuals to
Christ, all because people are drawn to ask questions when they see the attractive
lives of these Christians. Still, to have a God without fault is rather awesome
and overwhelming, for we all have the tendency to get things wrong. The challenge
Jesus gives, in Matthew 5 v 48 - to be perfect like our heavenly Father is
perfect - is daunting.
It is, therefore, very encouraging to learn from an Old Testament psalm that whilst God is indeed without fault and pure, he also takes the initiative on our behalf. God, who is the only LORD, does things for us. Look back over today’s text to make a list of the things the psalmist explains about himself, which are as a result of God’s work in his life. What special action has God taken on his behalf?
Has God brought change in your life? There are things that work against our being like him, but when we have the foundation of trust in him, the LORD shields us from these things. It is he who shapes us and provides the way to live. When we live in trust, and allow him to work, our lives can have enormous impact.
Prayer
Thank you for the attractiveness of Christian lives that draw others to faith
in Jesus. I especially pray for Christians in Myanmar and in the Arab world,
that their neighbours may see their good works and glorify you, our Father
in heaven. Amen
Psalm 18 v 37-42
I chased my enemies and caught them.
I did not stop until they were destroyed.
I crushed them so they couldn’t rise up again.
They fell beneath my feet.
You gave me strength in battle.
You made my enemies bow before me.
You made my enemies turn back, and I destroyed those who hated me.
They called for help, but no one came to save them.
They called to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
I beat my enemies into pieces, like dust in the wind.
I poured them out like mud in the streets.
Notes
The BBC football commentators did not know quite what to do when the winning
Brazilian football squad knelt in a circle to give thanks to God after winning
the World Cup. Secular Britain is embarrassed about public expression of
Christian faith. For the Brazilians there was no conflict between the team
members giving their all, and understanding that gratitude should be given
to God for the strength given, and for the inability of the opposition to
do as well. This was their day, to the glory of God.
And to the glory of God, the king of Psalm 18 defeated his enemies. He uses words that initially seem harsh and difficult as he speaks of God’s preference. But, you know, there are indeed times when people cry, “Lord, Lord”, but do not receive an answer. Other parts of the Bible help us to understand that this happens when those calling have been unwilling to recognise one who is serving God, or to live according to God’s values, eg, in Matthew 7 v 21 where Jesus says it is only those who do the will of the Father who will enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 25 v 37-46 takes the idea further, speaking of those who do, and those who do not, care for strangers.
Let those who face difficulties and opposition because of their faith in Christ be encouraged. God can tell the difference between a cry of faith and a sham. He does stand by and vindicate those who call on him out of a true faith. To be fair to everyone, we should speak about that clearly.
Prayer
Lord, strengthen all who serve you this day, that they may be able to face
every difficulty without fear. Make me strong that I might demonstrate your
lordship in my actions and speak of you clearly. Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes