When we trust God enough to ask for help, we soon discover that His help increases our trust.
Psalm 18 has the longest title: “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” It’s also the fourth-longest psalm, with 50 verses. This is the second iteration of it. We first hear it in its historical setting in 2 Samuel 22:1-51. A few slight changes have been made here to suit the poem for more general use. We’ll need to devote three lessons to it. The first stanza (vv 1-3) presents David’s admiration for the One he calls “my strength…my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,…my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” You get the picture. My life is defensible because my Lord is dependable. Every metaphor emphasizes one point: If you’re going to attack God’s people, first you’ll have to deal with their immovable, indestructible Friend. Verses 4-6 describe the onslaught David felt at times in his life. But he sent his distress signal heavenward and, he writes, “He heard my voice from His temple.” But the Lord doesn’t just hear—He responds. And what a response it was! The Lord takes the attacks on His people personally. “He was angry” and showed it (vv 7-15). These verses describe God’s assault on David’s enemies. “He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe…at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils” (vv 14-15). But the next section, bringing us to the climax of the poem, shows the Lord’s treatment of His own. “He took me; He drew me…He delivered me… He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me” (vv 16- 19). One might think the divine tenderness we receive makes it worth all the trouble!