First read here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+18&version=NIV
When I went to read this morning I opened my real ESV Bible and thought I was on Psalm 17. Read it and had a bunch of questions and was getting ready to type my blog when I realized I had already done Psalm 17 yesterday but I used the NIV. It felt like a completely different Psalm. The older I get the more I love my NIV. I really think the ESV puts things in ways that are incomprehensible at times and not readable. Anyway, that brings us to 18- it feels like the longest psalm we’ve had thus far and where does it begin?
With the words I love you Lord. The simple start to a child’s prayer but words we should say more and more. Supposedly this was written when Saul fell and that’s his response. I love you Lord. May all our days begin with such words!
It uses the imagery of my rock and my fortress but that I’m told is from Psalm 46- the same imagery is used repeatedly in psalms so that makes sense. Then he goes into his great need for God then we hear of God coming! The imagery he uses is like Smaug the mighty dragon coming up from his layer not to destroy hobbitses but to defend them! It’s an amazing showing of God fighting for his people. God rescued me because he delighted in you. That’s an amazing phrase to take delight in someone. We could all use a little delight right now. It’s a word that’s under used. Paddington- the 2014 movie- is a true delight. Children are a delight. Coffee and a sunrise. Homemade guac with homemade chips are a delight. Something you love that’s just a bit out of the ordinary. I’d like to think that’s the way God thinks of me and you.
Then God rewards us according to the cleanliness of our hands. I don’t want to think that way- even with all this talk of hand washing when you live alone that doesn’t inspire me to wash your hands that much. Yet my hands aren’t clean because of many of the wrong things I’ve done.
Then he shows off all the amazing things that he has done. How he rewards and equips for battle and destroys our enemies. Oddly- David never did that to Saul. I supposed you could say he allowed God to take care of Saul and eventually he did. It’s not ours to avenge and even though it sounds otherwise here.
“People I have not known served me” What an interesting verse. That’s a crazy cool way to be honored. Try to see if you can do that to someone else today- that’s Jesusy! When you serve someone you don’t know- give them an honest welcome or a starbucks giftcard from no where people are taken a back. If they don’t know who it is coming from- they assume it’s God. That’s a pretty cool thing.
The Lord Liveth and blessed be the rock and may the God of our salvation be exalted- did you just sing that? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maWha2xM_Rs That song comes from Psalm 18. Brings back many a campfire singing in a round.
The Lord brings salvation to me is how the psalm closes. That’s something we can take delight in!
Marking It Up 