Psalm 18:3 “I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,”
[You, Lord [Jehovah], are worthy of praise because of your holiness. You are completely other than your creatures: eternal, pure, wise, all powerful, all knowing, all seeing, totally independent of all you have created. In contrast, we are weak, tiny, limited and ignorant–in total need of knowing you, fully dependent on you, whether we know it or not.
In your holiness, LORD, you are the One who hates sin and must punish it, while at the same time you love your rebellious creatures and have provided for them a way of escape from condemnation. Truly you are worthy of praise!]
“and I am saved from my enemies.”
[You hear my prayers and in your power, in your love, in your faithfulness you save me from my enemies. You rescued me from the devil’s dominion of darkness, you delivered me from his oppression, you freed me from the clutches of sin, you brought me out from under the condemnation of the world.
You saved me from death and dispair, and you continue to save me every day from the attacks of sin, selfishness, Satan and his servants. You are my Superb Savior in whom mercy triumphs over justice. You are worthy of continual praise, honor and glory for your incomprehensible love and grace!]
Psalm 18:4,5 “The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.”
[In David’s case, his life was in physical danger as Saul was in hot pursuit of him. This is also the case now for many Christians in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as groups like ISIS and hostile governments try to eliminate all followers of Jesus.
On another level of danger, we all were entangled by the cords of death, for we lived in the dominion of darkness, in the disparing
, depressing world of the dying, ensnared by the traps and tricks of the devil. Death was our certain destiny, there was no hope, no light, no escape in our own strength.]
Psalm 18:6 “In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”
[But you, LORD God, Jehovah Elohim, were there to hear us when we cried out to you and have delivered us from the darkness of death and brought us into your Kingdom of light.
You now continually invite us to cry out to you for you hear our cry and act in your undeserved faithfulness and love. Because you are faithful we can be certain that, despite our natural unworthiness, you will hear and answer.]
It is wonderful, comforting and encouraging to know that in all our difficulties we can cry out to you, that you hear us and will answer in what is best and in power. As it says in Psalm 86:7, “In the day of my trouble I will call to you and you WILL answer me.”
May we live in the light and joy of this truth, trusting through thanksgiving before we see any answer, knowing that your timing and wisdom are perfect. To you be honor and glory today in my life as I live in the truth that “my soul finds rest in God alone (Psa. 62:1).
