Psalm 18:1-15

Rachel Workman: ¹ I love you, Lord;
    you are my strength.
² The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.
³ I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and he saved me from my enemies.
I love the first three verses. There isn't much I can add. God is worthy of our praise and he's worthy of our devotion.
⁴ The ropes of death entangled me;
    floods of destruction swept over me.
⁵ The grave^[a] wrapped its ropes around me;
    death laid a trap in my path.
⁶ But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
    my cry to him reached his ears.
⁷ Then the earth quaked and trembled.
    The foundations of the mountains shook;
    they quaked because of his anger.
⁸ Smoke poured from his nostrils;
    fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
    Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
⁹ He opened the heavens and came down;
    dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
¹⁰ Mounted on a mighty angelic being,^[b] he flew,
    soaring on the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He shrouded himself in darkness,
    veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
¹² Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him
    and rained down hail and burning coals.^[c]
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded
    amid the hail and burning coals.
¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
    great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
¹⁵ Then at your command, O Lord,
    at the blast of your breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
    and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
Today's reading was a little confusing to me. Was David prophesying or making a metaphor? Or did he actually see this? If it's a metaphor he certainly did describe God's judgment well. I know David was in great distress because Saul was determined to kill him but God was determined to use him. And God won.

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John Burnett:  18 “I love You, O Lord, my strength.”
² The Lord is my ^[b]rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
³ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.  I love how David describes God in this passage.  Salvation comes from the Lord and he saves us from our enemy, Satan, who is walking around like a roaring lion looking for whom he can devour.

⁴ The cords of death encompassed me,
And the torrents of ^[c]ungodliness ^[d]terrified me.
⁵ The cords of ^[e]Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
⁶ In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice out of His temple,
And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.  I know this was a physical encounter that God saved David from the same could be said about our sin and the death that it brings.

⁷ Then the earth shook and quaked;
And the foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
⁸ Smoke went up ^[f]out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
⁹ He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
¹⁰ He rode upon a cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness His hiding place, His ^[g]canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
¹² From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
¹³ The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴ He sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and ^[h]routed them.
¹⁵ Then the channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were ^[i]laid bare
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.  This is an amazing picture and I am curious to know if there is not some prophesy in what David writes or is this something that actually happened during his time.

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Pat Bell: ¹ I love you, Lord;
    you are my strength.
² The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.

These words speak to me. He is my strength yesterday, today and tomorrow. I feel so blessed!

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Allen Michaels:  This Psalm is almost identical to 2 Samuel 22.

 ¹ I love you, Lord;
    you are my strength.
² The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.
³ I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and he saved me from my enemies.

God’s protection of His people is limitless and can take many forms. Whenever we need protection we need to simply look to God.

⁴ The ropes of death entangled me;
    floods of destruction swept over me.
⁵ The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
    death laid a trap in my path.
⁶ But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
    my cry to him reached his ears.

⁷ Then the earth quaked and trembled.
    The foundations of the mountains shook;
    they quaked because of his anger.
⁸ Smoke poured from his nostrils;
    fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
    Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
⁹ He opened the heavens and came down;
    dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
¹⁰ Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,
    soaring on the wings of the wind.

This “mighty angelic being” is a cherub which is often referred to as a mighty angel. One of the functions of the cherubim was to serve as guardians.

¹¹ He shrouded himself in darkness,
    veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
¹² Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him
    and rained down hail and burning coals.

¹³ The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded
    amid the hail and burning coals.

The “Most High” was an important designation for David to make. Pagan Idol worship was deeply rooted in the land, and each region had its own deity. But these images of wood and stone were powerless. David was placing the Lord alone in a superior category: He is by far the Most High.

¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
    great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
¹⁵ Then at your command, O Lord,
    at the blast of your breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
    and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

In verses 6-15 David used very graphic language here to show how serious God is about helping those who turn to Him for help. David knew that he would be delivered – not because he was strong or deserving of God’s help but because God loved him and was powerful enough to arouse all the forces of nature to help him. If God is on our side, no enemy is too great. We can always experience victory by depending on God’s delivering hand.

Psalm 17:8-15

Rachel Workman: 8 Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
    Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
9 Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
    from murderous enemies who surround me.
10 They are without pity.
    Listen to their boasting!
11 They track me down and surround me,
    watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart—
    like young lions hiding in ambush.

I love verse 8 and 9. Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. My first thought although a little off track was Lord our eyes need guarded better. We live in a time that we see things we shouldn't be seeing. Pornography is just a click away. Violence is on every TV screen. Homosexuality is being pushed off on every person able to view a screen. It's on TV, it's in the media, it's on every computer screen. Old flames await with just a click of the button. Lord we need our eyes guarded. Please guard my families eyes. Hide us all in the shadows of your wings guarded away from the temptations of this world.

13 Arise, O Lord!
    Stand against them, and bring them to their knees!
    Rescue me from the wicked with your sword!
14 By the power of your hand, O Lord,
    destroy those who look to this world for their reward.
But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.
    May their children have plenty,
    leaving an inheritance for their descendants.
15 Because I am righteous, I will see you.
    When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.

These are great verses. Verse 14 goes back to my original thought. By the power of God's hand those who look for the world for their rewards will be destroyed. That's a very humbling thought. And a little scary, every person living in this world wants a small part of it. It would be a lie to deny it. But David hit it on the nail. When I awake I will see you face to face and I will be satisfied. See it's not this life that satisfies us. We won't be satisfied until we are face to face with God.

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John Burnett:  ⁸ Keep me as ^[a]the apple of the eye;
Hide me in the shadow of Your wings
⁹ From the wicked who despoil me,
My deadly enemies who surround me.
¹⁰ They have closed their ^[b]unfeeling heart,
With their mouth they speak proudly.
¹¹ They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
¹² He is like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion lurking in hiding places.

¹³ Arise, O Lord, confront him, bring him low;
Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword,
¹⁴ From men with Your hand, O Lord,
From men ^[c]of the world, whose portion is in this life,  Your Best Life Now.  The prosperity preachers think you can have all these things and Heaven too because they are little gods.  So Sad.
And whose belly You fill with Your treasure; 
They are satisfied with children,
And leave their abundance to their babes.
¹⁵ As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; 
I will be satisfied ^[d]with Your likeness when I awake.  I will behold your face because of the righteousness that has been imputed to me.  Thank you Lord for giving us a way to know you through your Son Jesus Christ.

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Allen Michaels:  ⁸ Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
    Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

God’s protection has far greater purposes than helping us avoid pain; it is to make us better servants for Him. God also protects us by guiding us through painful circumstances, not only by helping us escape them.

⁹ Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
    from murderous enemies who surround me.
¹⁰ They are without pity.
    Listen to their boasting!
¹¹ They track me down and surround me,
    watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
¹² They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart—
    like young lions hiding in ambush.

¹³ Arise, O Lord!
    Stand against them, and bring them to their knees!
    Rescue me from the wicked with your sword!
¹⁴ By the power of your hand, O Lord,
    destroy those who look to this world for their reward.
   But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.
    May their children have plenty,
    leaving an inheritance for their descendants.
¹⁵ Because I am righteous, I will see you.
    When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.

We deceive ourselves when we measure our happiness or contentment in life by the amount of wealth we possess. When we put riches at the top of our value system, we let power, pleasure, and financial security overshadow the eternal value of our relationship with God.

David prays to God to keep him in safety. This prayer is a prediction that Christ would be preserved, through all the hardships and difficulties of his humiliation, to the glories and joys of his exalted state, and is a pattern to Christians to commit the keeping of their souls to God, trusting him to preserve them to his heavenly kingdom. Those are our worst enemies that are enemies to our souls.

Psalm 17:1-7

Rachel Workman: 1 O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
    Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
    for it comes from honest lips.
2 Declare me innocent,
    for you see those who do right.

3 You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
    You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
    I am determined not to sin in what I say.
4 I have followed your commands,
    which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
5 My steps have stayed on your path;
    I have not wavered from following you.

6 I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
    Bend down and listen as I pray.
7 Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
    By your mighty power you rescue
    those who seek refuge from their enemies.

I love this prayer. David states that God has scrutinized him and found nothing wrong. I think too many people take for granted the beauty of what Christ has done for us. How can we ever be found with "nothing wrong" without Christ's sacrifice? By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemy. I love this. That enemy can be a number of things, money, lust, drugs, other addictions. Those are our enemies because Satan is the ruler behind them all. Seek refuge and we will be rescued. But I find we don't always seek refuge instead we continue the way we are hoping God steps in. And when he doesn't it has to be God's fault instead of our own inability to let go. And I'm speaking from personal experience here.

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John Burnett:  17 Hear a just cause, O Lord, give heed to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips.
² Let my ^[a]judgment come forth from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look with equity.
³ You have tried my heart;
You have visited me by night;
You have tested me and You find ^[b]nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
⁴ As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips
I have kept from the paths of the violent.
⁵ My steps have held fast to Your ^[c]paths.
My feet have not slipped.

⁶ I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.
⁷ Wondrously show Your lovingkindness,
O Savior of those who take refuge ^[d]at Your right hand
From those who rise up against them.  This is a prayer that will be more applicable as we approach Christ’s return.  The man of lawlessness is already at work and as this world turns upside down and good becomes bad and bad becomes good we will need God’s protection and strength to persevere.

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Allen Michaels:  ¹ O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
    Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
    for it comes from honest lips.
² Declare me innocent,
    for you see those who do right.

³ You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
    You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
    I am determined not to sin in what I say.

David’s relationship with God was one of close fellowship and constant repentance and forgiveness. His claim to goodness, therefore, was based on his continual seeking after God. We must be continuous with our walk with God. We cannot only talk to Him when it benefits ourselves.

⁴ I have followed your commands,
    which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
⁵ My steps have stayed on your path;
    I have not wavered from following you.

Taking a careful inventory of our life is absolutely necessary for complete recovery. If we refuse to examine our life, we will encounter numerous obstacles that will stand in the way of our recovery program. As we learn to live as we should, we can have confidence that God will respond to our cries for help. We must follow through on our commitment by avoiding involvement with the people who draw us toward the evil things that have overwhelmed us in the past. It’s important that we associate with those that will draw us closer to God.

⁶ I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
    Bend down and listen as I pray.
⁷ Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
    By your mighty power you rescue
    those who seek refuge from their enemies.

Psalm 16:1-11

Rachel Workman: 1 Keep me safe, O God,
    for I have come to you for refuge.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
    Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 The godly people in the land
    are my true heroes!
    I take pleasure in them!
4 Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
    I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
    or even speak the names of their gods.

5 Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
    You guard all that is mine.
6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
    What a wonderful inheritance!

7 I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
    My body rests in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead
    or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever.

I love these verses. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasure of living with you forever. God has shown us the way of life through Jesus. I love how David states he is granted the joy of God's presence. Do I bask in that same joy or do I take it for granted? I'd say a little of both. God went through a lot of trouble to make himself known to us, to make his presence known to us. It's something I should never take for granted. It's a privilege that I wouldn't want to be without. I need to be more joyful just because God's presence is with me. I have every reason to be joyful.

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John Burnett:  16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
^2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are ^[c]my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
³ As for the ^[d]saints who are in the earth,
^[e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
⁴ The ^[f]sorrows of those who have ^[g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;  Woe is to them.
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

⁵ The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
⁶ The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.  Not only is God part of our inheritance as adopted sons and daughters but he provides for us.

⁷ I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my ^[h]mind instructs me in the night.
⁸ I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely. 
¹⁰ For You will not abandon my soul to ^[i]Sheol;
Nor will You ^[j]allow Your ^[k]Holy One to ^[l]undergo decay.  I love how God gives David insight/prophesy about our Savior.  Jesus will not undergo decay because He is Risen.
¹¹ You will make known to me the path of life;  God uses the Holy Spirit to draw people to Himself and gives them the eyes to see their sin and their need for a Savior and how we can spend eternity in His presence.
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

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Krista Cook:  Words to again reassure us that He is all we need!  What a blessing!

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Allen Michaels:  ¹ Keep me safe, O God,
    for I have come to you for refuge.

² I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
    Every good thing I have comes from you.”
³ The godly people in the land
    are my true heroes!
    I take pleasure in them!
⁴ Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
    I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
    or even speak the names of their gods.

⁵ Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
    You guard all that is mine.
⁶ The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
    What a wonderful inheritance!

Strength and security come from God alone; He is the only one who can restore us to right living. We can draw strength from those who are trying to do God’s will. As we recover, we can offer strength to others. If we look to God as the source of our strength and joy, He will never disappoint us. People and other sources of pleasure will let us down, but God will not.

⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

It is human nature to make our plans first, and then ask God to bless them. By constantly thinking about the Lord and His way of living, we will gain insights that will help us make right decisions and live the way God desires. Communicating with God allows Him to counsel us and give us freedom.

⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
    My body rests in safety.
¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead
    or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
¹¹ You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever.

This Psalm is often called a Messianic psalm because it is quoted in the New Testament as referring to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Both Peter and Paul quoted from this psalm when speaking of Christ’s bodily resurrection (see Acts 2:25-28, 31; 13:35-37).

As we seek through prayer and meditation to improve our relationship with God, we will find in His word not only peace of mind and heart but also good counsel that will keep us from falling into sin. Knowing that God is with us and that He will never abandon us should be a constant source of joy and peace. An important principle of recovery is realizing that God is with us – here and now – and that He promises to be with us through all eternity.