GREAT COMFORT

"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."
(Psalm 18:2)



King David covered all of the bases in this one verse! God is no respector of persons, He treats wealthy and poor, healthy or ill, jobless or unemployed, homeowner or renter the same. He is God, He does not change. What He has established from the beginning of time remains today and will remain in the eternal. We can take great comfort in this. There is no shadow of turning with our Father!



How can David confidently boast that God is all of the things he mentions in verse 2? Did he just sit down one morning and put to pen whatever happened to enter his mind? NO!



David, like each of us have days, weeks, or even seasons when we need a:
* ROCK TO STAND UPON
* A FORTRESS IN WHICH TO HIDE
* A GOD WE CAN CALL OUR VERY OWN
* STRENGTH FOR THE DAY OR SEASON
* SOMEONE IN WHOM WE CAN TRUST
* A BUCKLER, SOMEONE TO HOLD US TOGETHER
* SOMEONE STRONG IN OUR SALVATION AND ASSURANCE OF THAT
* A HIGH TOWER IN WHICH TO ESCAPE



God is all of these things. David knew this because he needed and experienced the deliverance, the shelter, the salvation of the Almighty. We are to hang tight, trusting in Him until we can proclaim, as King David does in verse 6 of Chapter 18 " In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God; He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears."



No matter our current issues, no matter the darkness and hopelessness whether it regard an unanswered prayers, lost loved ones, economic issues, or a calling that seems to be on hold, HE HEARS! Verse 11 says He makes darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.



In gross darkness, He is there. He can be found there. He has never left, nor will He ever if we trust in Him. There are lessons to be learned in this darkness. As a person's skills are enhanced when we lose one or two of our faculties, I believe He tends to put us into situations where it is just me, and Him. One on one, as it were.



The foundations of the earth shake at His presence. The hills melt when He appears out of His temple. He will draw us out of the many waters that try to encompase us, He will send from above and make it happen. He will bring us into a large place and deliver us because He delights in His children! He will lighten our candle ( our spirits,our witness) we will see through the darkness, run through the troop of difficulties, and our feet will be like deer feet; jumping over the hills and valleys, through Him.



Our Beloved waits for us. He wants to teach us to war successfully through Him. He will enlarge our steps and our feet will not slip. He will gird us with strength and subdue those who arise up against us. He will give us the necks of our enemies so that we might destroy them; enemies of doubt, fear, unbelief, unanswered prayers, and any and everything that opposes Him living His life through us.



As we walk through this strange land in which He has placed us, we can confidently say with King David:



"As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness:
I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness."
(Psalm 17:15)



His banner over us is LOVE!