April 9th
“1 I love you, O LORD , my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call to the LORD , who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. 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. 7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. 8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. 9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky. 12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. 13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. 15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD , at the blast of breath from your nostrils. 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Psalm 18:1-19 NIV
King David was no stranger to adversity. He spent many years in the wilderness running from King Saul, who was trying to kill him. Saul, sometimes under the influence of evil spirits, attempted to kill David several times. David relied on God for help, protection and rescue during those years of running from Saul and dealing with other enemies. David sang Psalm 18 in tribute to God for the help that God gave him.
When we commit to living for God, it’s virtually guaranteed that adversity will find its way into our lives. People may be jealous of God’s favor on our lives. People may hate us for being associated with Jesus. The devil may attack us in attempt to bring us back into slavery to sin. When challenging times come our way, we can call on God for help, protection and rescue. God is mighty and awesome, and no enemy can stand against him.
Praise and prayer are great ways to call on God. Our praise is a way of honoring God for who he is. It prepares the way for our prayers to be heard before God’s throne. When we base our praise and prayer on God’s promises, believing what we are saying, we fully engage God’s power. For example, David meant the words he wrote in Psalm 18 and the results were dramatic. God delivered him from all of his enemies. We, too, can have similar victories occur!
Questions for further thought:
What types of adversity have you been facing lately?
Have you been calling on God in praise and prayer according to his promises?
Where can you find out about God’s promises?
Prayer:
“O God, you are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer. I worship you and thank you for all that you have done for me. I take refuge in you from all the troubles I am facing in my life. Thank you for your perfect peace that I have when I focus my mind on you. Thank you for being my shield and my very present help in time of need. You are worthy of all my praise. I bless your holy name! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”