Psalm 18:1-50

Praise is the natural response that every child of God should have when we consider His might works on our behalf.  David experienced a life of many trials.  His life was constantly being threatened by his adversaries.  He had enemies in the surrounding nations, enemies from his own nation and even enemies within his own home.  There were many times where he was completely surrounded by evil and powerful men who wanted his destruction.  However, in the face of this danger David called upon the Lord to deliver him.  David was the king of the nation; if anyone could have been confident in his ability to resolve this problem in his own strength; it was David.  However, David recognizes his need of help from the Lord so he calls out to the Lord in prayer.  When God rescues David, he is faithful to commemorate his deliverance with praise.  Too often we try to solve our problems in our own strength without turning to the Lord in prayer and when the Lord does answer our prayer we often forget to praise Him.  This Psalm starts and ends with Praise as David recalls the gracious and powerful works of God on his behalf.

GOD REVENGES HIS ENEMIES WITH VICIOUSNESS: David’s description of God’s vengeance on the evil men who were persecuting him is astonishing.  It pictures an angry and powerful God rising from His throne in heaven and coming down to earth in wrath.  The earth is shaken, the stars and moon flash like lightning bolts that obliterate the enemy.  Certainly nobody would want this all powerful and all-consuming God coming after them with this level of anger and wrath.  God is not tame and cannot be domesticated.  His anger burns hot at sin and sinners and His wrath can be describes as nothing less than vicious.  As we read David’s description of God’s vengeance it is hard not to think of Christ’s second coming to the earth and the judgments that will follow.  If David’s description of God is troublesome, John’s in Revelation is even more troublesome.  We are mistaken to think of God as only loving and gentle.  His is also holy, just and all powerful.  Every knee will tremble and bow before Him with faces prostrated before Him.  We must look to Christ to deliver us from this coming judgment.

GOD RESPONDS TO HIS CHILDREN’S VIRTUE: God was David’s rock, refuge and strength.  He is the only source of hope and help for those who are oppressed by evil.  The reason that David could rest in the protection of God was because David loved and feared the Lord.  David sought to obey the Law of the Lord and He submitted to the Lord in times of failure.  David did not seek to excuse or hide his sin but repented of his sin and confessed it to the Lord.  He was a merciful a virtuous man who walked humbly before the Lord.  He worshiped and praised the Lord with his life and God responded to David’s character and his praise by defending Him.  Everyone wants God to come to their rescue like He did for David.  Unfortunately, there are very few who exhibit the same character that David demonstrated in His life.  God is gracious and powerful to save us when we submit to Him and trust Him with our whole hearts.  None of us can be holy enough to earn the favor of God.  His favor comes to us by grace through the work of Christ on the cross.  But Christ’s work is not only for us; it is also in us.  When Christ comes into our lives by faith, we are forgiven of our sin but we are also freed from our sin and able to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.


GOD REWARDS HIS CHILDREN WITH VICTORY: David’s reward was great.  His kingdom was established and he lived in peace with both God and man.  By the time he turned the kingdom over to his son; the nation was at peace and was at the height of prosperity.  Through all the trials, temptations and dangers God had given David the victory and now he was able to enjoy the blessings of the Lord.  He could look back over his life and see the provision of God and know that He had lived a full and productive life for the glory of God.  God is an awesome rewarder.  David could point to the nations bowing down before him and the wealth with which God had blessed him.  He had come a long ways since the days of watching sheep in the wilderness all because of the glorious provision of God in his life.  God is our reward and we have much for which to look forward.  He is preparing an amazing place of reward and by His grace we can look forward to the end of our lives in Christ with the joy of victory.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more

1 Timothy 1:1-2

Paul,   an apostle of Christ Jesus   by command of   God our Savior and of Christ Jesus   our hope, To Timothy,   my true child in the faith:   Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. The true sign of maturity is multiplication.  Believers, churches, and ministries that do not reproduce are not demonstrating true maturity.  One of the key characteristics we can identify in Paul’s ministry is that he was constantly reproducing godly believers who were faithfully following the Lord.  Evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training are the hallmarks of mature ministers and ministries.   THE APOSTLE: Paul was called by God to be an Apostle.  Though Paul converted after the resurrection and assentation of Jesus, he met Jesus in the road to Damascus and was instructed by Jesus in the desert.  Paul considered himself to be the least of the Apostles because he persecuted the church and did not walk with Jesus on earth like the other Apostles.  However, God had
Read more