There it was again, yesterday, in the kids’ devotional reading for the day.
He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
I’ve been reading some or all of Psalm 18 most days lately, because it seems there’s something I’m supposed to be seeing. Or maybe, I just need the frequent reminders that God is in these days. I’m trying to listen. I tend to have a problem, though, when I read Bible passages of not actually seeing how things go together…reading verse by verse instead of getting the big picture…and I miss some pretty simple things sometimes. So it took me reading it a couple times to understand what the chapter was talking about. See, how I read it was: David is in distress, and then gears shift completely to talking about God being big and powerful and kind of scary, and then to talking about God’s goodness to David. And somehow, I missed how it all was related. But then I looked at the transitional verses
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
David cried out, and God heard and proceeded to literally move heaven and earth to come to David’s aid. Almighty God was zealously protecting His own. He didn’t respond half-heartedly. He wasn’t unconcerned for David’s need. On the contrary, He made sure that David’s enemies knew just exactly Who they had to contend with when they went after him.
But, interestingly, God didn’t show up before David was in distress. He didn’t keep him out of the battle. In fact, David seemed convinced that his situation was dire
The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
God waited until David was at the end of himself. Why? For (at least) a couple reasons, I think. First, so that he would know beyond any doubt that his deliverance was of the Lord and not his own strength
He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
and
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
Second, so that David would be strengthened for future battles
He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
And in the rest of the chapter, David goes on to talk about his victories over his enemies. God had reminded David whose strength it is that wins battles, and that deeper knowledge, that increased faith, that broadened humility(?), brought David to the place of victory.
God had a plan. He had a reason for letting David get to the point of distress. He wasn’t slow to answer. He never was anything but absolutely, unconditionally, passionately loving. But He knew the end from the beginning. He knew what was necessary to accomplish His purposes. He knew what would be the greatest good for David.
So, here now, for us, I will trust that God has a plan. I will trust that God has a reason for letting us get to this point of distress (though I hope that we won’t end up confronted by the snares of death). I will believe that God is not being slow to answer, and that even in this, He is only absolutely, unconditionally, passionately loving us. Because He knows the end from the beginning. He knows what is necessary to accomplish His purposes in our lives. He knows what will be for our greatest good. And He will perform it.
I have been reading this psalm ever since your post and today, verse 19 flew off the page at me…especially the end part. “he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Wow!!! That is so big a thought. He delighted in me!!!!!! Not what I did or if I behaved right or thought right, but because he delighted in me. Something to really let soak in. SO glad you wrote this post!
I was thinking about the picture of the gospel this gives…God loving us so much that He rescued us when we couldn’t rescue ourselves. And though David seems to tie God delighting in him to his own righteousness (maybe because of the nature of the old covenant?), we have the righteousness of Christ to call our own, which guarantees for us the favor of the Lord, even when we mess up. Like God being so zealous to be able to move in our lives and on our behalf that He was willing to shoulder the entire burden of being “good enough”. It is really incomprehensible, that affection that He must have for us.
Wow, Lori. That was awesome and just what I needed. Thank you!
I’m so glad it was encouraging for you. I have just really been in awe of God’s response to David’s need. It can be so easy for me to think that God is unconcerned or unloving…maybe sometimes incapable, even? But reality is just the opposite. How amazing, the lengths that God will go to for us…it brings me to tears (though that’s not too unusual). I don’t know how I forget so easily, but I’m thankful for His reminders.