Psalm 18:1-2 New Living Translation
1 I love you, Lord; you are my
strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
David penned
these words after God had delivered him from the hateful hands of King Saul who
earnestly sought to have David killed.
He begins by telling God he loves him and by all the chapters that David
writes, you can tell that these words are heartfelt and that he is not just
writing them for the good of his health or to impress others. This made me wonder a little bit of how
often, if at all, do we tell God that we also love him.
David uses
five ways in this verse to describe God's relationship with him. He describes
God as his rock, his fortress, his shield, the power that saves him, and his place
of safety. We know that after David slew
Goliath, he progressed from being a shepherd to become a soldier and ultimately
a commander. The ways in which David
describes what God means to him are the type of things that would mean a lot to
a soldier because he totally placed his trust in God to protect him and his
armies.
Rock – The words
of a stirring hymn tell us ‘On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground
is sinking sand’. It brings to mind
Edinburgh and Stirling Castles, both being built on Rock and easily defended. It also reminds us that the Lord said Peter
was the rock on which he would build his Church.
Fortress – A
stronghold, a fortification – essentially a place of sanctuary or protection,
but none exists that can provide the same level of protection as that provided
by God.
Shield –
Part of a soldier’s armour providing protection from attacks from the enemy
when engaging with them in hand-to-hand combat.
David firmly believed that his success in warfare was solely due to the
Lord being by his side.
The power
that saves him – Sometimes, when achieving victory against the odds, David
realises that God is indeed a powerful God and that if he is on your side, all
oppressors can be overcome and defeated.
Place of
safety – I think of this as somewhere for David to go to where he could be
alone and have the time to contemplate his Heavenly Father without having to
worry about an imminent attack by an enemy army. Believers today have the Lord Jesus Christ as
their refuge and shield. The apostle Paul referred to our lives as "hidden
with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).
Prayer Our Lord and our God, we thank you for being with us all the days of our lives. We pray for those folks that find every day is a battle whether it be in a military sense against an enemy or in a domestic sense with a partner. Be with those who are put upon at home, at school or at work and strengthen then. We would also pray for those who face personal battles with addictions. Help us, blessed enough not to have these problems, to show tolerance, understanding and even love to those who suffer. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
Prayer Our Lord and our God, we thank you for being with us all the days of our lives. We pray for those folks that find every day is a battle whether it be in a military sense against an enemy or in a domestic sense with a partner. Be with those who are put upon at home, at school or at work and strengthen then. We would also pray for those who face personal battles with addictions. Help us, blessed enough not to have these problems, to show tolerance, understanding and even love to those who suffer. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
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