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Daily Devotion: Psalm 18:16-19

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Psalm 18:16-19    "He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.  (17)  He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.  (18)  They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.  (19)  He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me."

I encourage you to read verses 7-15. In those verses, you will find a vivid word description of God coming to deliver David from the situation in which he found himself.  As I read those verses, my mind goes back to the movies when the Cavalry would come to the rescue or in war when air support was given to help a platoon that was trapped by the enemy. David was describing the Lord's behind the scenes response when His children call to him in their deep need. If the Lord did that for David, you can be assured He still does it today. Our God never changes.

After giving such great descriptions of how David perceived God answering his prayer, he then brings it down to the level where you and I can understand. Let's try to put it in perspective of our prayers being answered. We sometimes see ourselves as thrashing, trying to keep our heads above water. We cry for help. We feel we are drowning in sorrow, in anger, in disappointment, in discouragement, or whatever the situation may be. "Please, Lord help me." What does God do? "He sends from above. He takes us. He draws us out of the waters."  He delivers us from the very thing that has us in its clutches.  We must remember that He does it according to His time frame and according to His plan and purpose.

We sometimes tend to freeze when we are in the grasp of opposition. David used the word, "prevented," in verse 18.  The enemy, the situation, the emotion had me in its grasp and I could not function. I could not do the things I needed to do. I separated myself from others. I withdrew into my own thoughts and imaginations. "BUT THE LORD was my stay." We can never count God out of any situation in which we find ourselves.  My own emotions thought they had me defeated, BUT THE LORD was my stay.  Those that opposed me in my attempts to serve the Lord thought they had stopped me, BUT THE LORD was my stay.

"He brought me forth" out of the waters, out of my calamity, out of my situation and circumstance and put me on solid ground. In the book of Exodus, we find Moses had been overtaken by discouragement. The Lord placed him by his side in the cleft of the rock and showed His glory. When we find ourselves in a "down time" of life, God lifts us up out of ourselves and into His glorious presence. Why does He do that for us? "Because He delighted in me."   Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. We are weak, BUT HE IS STRONG!   It is God's delight to hear the prayers of His precious children. Never hesitate to cry out to Him for help.

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