Tag Archives: Psalm 18

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Who is God to you?

Our character determines how we identify the Lord.

To the faithful you show yourself faithful;

Psalm 18:25

People demonstrate faithfulness because they value it for it comes at a cost. It requires commitment when others would have given up. So, it is the faithful who will hang on long enough to see God come through in faithfulness.

to those with integrity you show integrity.

Psalm 18:25

Few people believe others have integrity. They look at their own spin and assume everyone else spins with them. So, when Jesus says “I am with you always.” They give a knowing wink. They are not going to stick their necks out on the basis of anyones word.

It is those who live out what they believe in integrity who will stick with Jesus enough to prove his words true.

To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.  

Psalm 18:26

Shifting from the light to darkness there is a change. The Lord demonstrates he is no fool. The crooked lure the innocent into their traps. Yet, the Lord has a way of trapping the crooked in their own traps showing himself to be shrewd. Sadly, few see it. Most believe that they had failed to cover all eventualities. It takes a remarkable person to see that it was the Lord who was behind their failure.

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Relational battles

There is a person blocking us in an endeavour we sensed the Lord directing us towards. It had seemed a case of praying and seeing how the Lord would protect his endeavour. Then Psalm 18 challenged me.

I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed … [Psalm-18v37-38-NLT]

The Lord entrusts the battle to us, a challenge of faith to someone who avoids confrontation.

You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. [Psalm-18v39-NLT]

The Lord’s desire for destruction challenges my compassion. There is a reason-

Many caught in sin only apologise where caught. There is remorse but no brokenness that owns the guilt. All is explained away and fault is assigned to others. There is no humbling or turning their backs in flight merely withdrawal to a new defiant defensive position.

They cried for help, but there was no one to save them – to the Lord, but he did not answer… [Psalm-18v41-42-NLT]

The enemy’s defeat challenges their self-righteousness. Those who have stood in defiance presume God is with them. Defeat forces self-righteousness to acknowledge its presumption.

You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; … They come trembling from their strongholds. [Psalm-18v43-45-NLT]

The battle is not one sided. The enemy fights back and fights dirty, yet God delivers.

Surrender is not merely to us, but from the strongholds of self-righteousness. Through victory the enemy’s road to reconciliation with God is cleared.