God, the Deliverer

Psalm 18:1-29

In Psalm 18, David loved his dependable God!  His love for God was not based on living “the good life.”  God was praiseworthy because of His deliverance of David from a hopeless situation.  David used terms like tangled in death’s ropes, the grave, and death’s trap.  He experienced no “self-deliverance,” but he cried to God for deliverance.

What happened evoked no terror in David, but it terrified David’s enemies.  The word picture was about an enraged God whom attacked David’s enemies.  God’s superiority over David’s enemies was overwhelmingly evident.  This terrifying God rescued David while putting David’s enemies in disarray.

This occurred because of God’s greatness, not because of David’s greatness.  There was no, “Look at what I have done!” no, “Was that necessary?” no, “Where were You before my horrible experience occurred?” no, “Why did I go through that?” but praise and appreciation for deliverance.

Deliverance happened because David was dedicated to doing right.  As a result of David’s dedication to godliness and right doing, God listened to his cries.  Because David was dedicated to God’s ways and values, God was David’s Light.  God was his source of confidence.

We cannot know the precise event or events that produced this psalm.  Was the psalm an old-age reflection on past life or the immediate reaction to a specific time and event?  This we do know: David’s relation with God was not about the worthiness of David, but about God’s astounding mercy.

Is your relationship with God based on your performance, on God’s mercy, or on a human response to God’s overwhelming undeserved consideration?  David chose number three!

David Chadwell
July 17, 2012  *  Fort Smith, AR
 

Previous Article

Index

Next Article

  Link to other Writings of David Chadwell

  Link to David's Home Page