Psalm 18 – 20
David is praying and praising God for three things, stability, the Law and trustworthiness. If we had the same interaction David had with God we may be able to say these prayers with more devotion, but at the same time we may be just not aware. I read many of these stories where God is so intertwined into people’s lives that there is no question on God’s involvement. Granted we have extremes like Moses, where the seas part, but for the most part we long for a similar relationship as David has with God.
Verse 18:2 starts the David’s pray with something we all really need to believe in our hearts:
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.
These words imply David understands that God is not ever going to leave his side. How about you? Do you feel God is with you all the time as your “rock” or is your relationship “on again, off again?” I think we often get this idea God is not with us all the time and has bigger fish to fry. I mean David was the anointed king of Israel and I am just a lowly engineer in a small company.
See this is where we miss the mark, thinking God is not with us all the time. God cannot be “omnipresent” and not be here, NOW!! I think verses 18:25-27 capture what God actually does:
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.
If we are not aware, looking for or expecting God we tend never to find God. At the same time so tend to over find God in everything, but that is another subject altogether. I think if we are cognizant of God is our lives, we will become connected with Him in a greater fashion. Once we acknowledge God is with us always, the idea of being “merciful” and “blameless” becomes easier.
Verse 19:7 talks about the Law:
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
I know in New Testament time we tend not to acknowledge the Law, unless it comes to tithing. But we really need to acknowledge the law as being an awesome guide, not just for money, but for life. Granted Jesus fulfilled the sacrifices by his death on the cross, but that does not mean we stop sacrificing. We just don’t need to kill animals to atone for our sins, just be a living sacrifice in helping others. Jesus was preparing to be hung on a cross, and the first thing He does with his disciples is was their feet.
We have a tough time with considering the “law of the Lord” being “perfect.” Since there is so much that says we can ignore it, but look at the food laws. Science has proven that the dietary laws are the best diet for the human body. It has us avoid foods that could contain toxins and use them as garbage processors, like pork and shrimp. But read “The Makers Diet” by Jordan Ruben to convince you this statement is true.
Verse 20:1 seems to be the big request of most of us:
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
Most of the time, for me at least, this prayer gets turned inward. I want answers and I want protection in my times of trouble. Again I think when we feel alone and needing God’s help, it’s just we are not 100% on board. Think about your “image” of God and then imagine Him being in your face AND the face of every other person today as well as the entire universe. No if your image of God is not there; then maybe you are missing the mark. God is so far beyond our human comprehension that we must accept something that may seem farfetched to most. Once we “buy in” 100% then we can experience God like David, as our “rock!”