Psalm 18:1 I love you, Lord; you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.
If anybody knew what it felt like to be attacked and need protection, David would be the one. As the youngest and smallest boy in a family of macho men, David was relegated to herding sheep while his brothers were preening themselves back in the family compound. But God was training David to kill lions and bears that threatened the sheep and preparing him to pick off Goliath with an accurately placed stone from a sling. How many millions of stones did David aim at targets while he was watching sheep?
Later, David would find himself pursued by King Saul throughout the wilderness parts of Israel. Repeatedly, David would find himself taking refuge in caves or hiding behind huge rocks while Saul’s men would pass harmlessly by on the other side. One time, when Saul was about to catch David, a messenger rushed in, telling him that Israel was under attack, forcing him to break off the pursuit to move the army to counter this attack.
But what does it mean that God is a rock, a shield, and a place of safety? We never know when we are going to be attacked. I once walked into a public meeting thinking I was supporting a fellow staff member, only to find myself the target of a planned campaign designed to humiliate me and destroy my reputation in the community. Four more similar meetings followed, each one worse than the last. God gave me the strength and the courage to maintain a relaxed body position and to smile at all those screaming false accusations. Did those accusations hurt? Absolutely! Nobody wants to be accused falsely. But God helped me so that I was able to survive those confrontations gracefully. Rather than simply being a physical rock, God is a spiritual Rock, offering shelter, protection, and encouragement.
4 The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me.
5 The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path.
6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.
7 Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger.
8 Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
9 He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
11 He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
15 Then at your command, O Lord, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me.
19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.
Did God appear in fire and smoke and lightning? No. But God did help me to endure and to continue to care for patients while all these meetings were going on. “18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me.” Later that same year, I found myself working alone once more; one colleague went on leave, one left for school, and one transferred to a different facility. Rocks don’t move and they are stable. In that time of instability, God proved once more to be the Rock on which I could depend.
“19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.” Do I deserve God’s delight in me? Frankly, no. God delights in me because I am His creation and because I love Him and try to serve Him, but not because I deserve anything from Him. God delights in me because that is His Nature.
God does not play favorites! The same God who protected David while he was herding sheep and then running from Saul’s armies, the same God who has preserved me and allowed me to work for all these years – that same God delights in you and longs for you to rely on Him as your Rock. Trust God! Confess your sins to Him, knowing that He is holy and righteous but also merciful and forgiving.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us are tired, worried, and emotionally drained. We need You to be our Rock, unshakeable, immovable, eternal. Help all who read these words to trust in You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment