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Daily Devotion: Psalm 18:1-3

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Psalm 18:1-3     "I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.  (2)  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.  (3)  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."

This particular Psalm has been one of my favorites for many years. Notice I said, "One of my favorites." I love all the Psalms because they speak to me on the level where I find myself at any given time.  In this Psalm, the Holy Spirit directed David to write using language we can understand in order to see how diligent and how personal God hears and answers our prayers. We may take a few days on this Psalm.

Notice the first words from the pen of David as he begins this Psalm. The Lord has shown him the powerful manner of answered prayers. His response is this, "I will love thee, O LORD, my strength." It would not be a bad thing to read this passage over and over again until the words of David become our words. "I will love thee, O LORD, my strength." Let's say it one more time, then you can determine how many times you need to repeat those words before they become words that are formed in your heart and your mind and are spoken, not as a recitation, but as a prayer of love and devotion unto the Lord. "I will love thee, O LORD, my strength."  Yes, Lord, I truly love you for who you are and all you do on an hourly and daily basis in my life.

"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."  You are my strength. You are my escape when a world of emotions seems to overwhelm me. You deliver me from my own fears and doubts and my own thoughts that tend to cause me to stray from you. I trust you Lord. Even when I don't understand what is happening in my life, I trust you completely. The reason I trust you is because, "I love you Lord" and I can say I love you because you first said those words to me, "I love you." Thank you for loving me even though I am completely unlovable. Thank you for fighting my battles. Thank you that your strength to deliver never falters. Thank you Lord that when I feel the need to run away, I can run to You. You lift me up above the troubles of life and sit down with me in Heavenly places. How can I say thank you?

And here is the set up for the rest of the Psalm: "I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."  The Lord openly calls us to lay our burdens, our cares, our problems, and our struggles upon Him.  I can know that when I call upon Him, I can be certain that He will answer me with the help that is needed.  Thank you Lord!

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