Psalm 18:1-24

Thanksgiving for Deliverance

18¹ I love you, God - you make me strong. ² God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God - the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout. ³ I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty, and find myself safe and saved. ⁴ The hangman's noose was tight at my throat; devil waters rushed over me. ⁵ Hell's ropes cinched me tight; death traps barred every exit. ⁶ A hostile world! I call to God, I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence - a private audience! ⁷ Earth wobbles and lurches; huge mountains shake like leaves, Quake like aspen leaves because of his rage. ⁸ His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke; his mouth spits fire. Tongues of fire dart in and out; ⁹ he lowers the sky. He steps down; under his feet an abyss opens up. ¹⁰ He's riding a winged creature, swift on wind-wings. ¹¹ Now he's wrapped himself in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness. ¹² But his cloud-brightness bursts through, spraying hailstones and fireballs. ¹³ Then God thundered out of heaven; the High God gave a great shout, spraying hailstones and fireballs. ¹⁴ God shoots his arrows - pandemonium! He hurls his lightnings - a rout! ¹⁵ The secret sources of ocean are exposed, the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered The moment you roar in protest, let loose your hurricane anger. ¹⁶ But me he caught - reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out ¹⁷ that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. ¹⁸ They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me. ¹⁹ He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved - surprised to be loved!

²⁰ God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. ²¹ Now I'm alert to God's ways; I don't take God for granted. ²² Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. ²³ I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. ²⁴ God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

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Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 18:1-24

Commentary on Psalm 18:1-19

(Read Psalm 18:1-19)

The first words, "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength," are the scope and contents of the psalm. Those that truly love God, may triumph in him as their Rock and Refuge, and may with confidence call upon him. It is good for us to observe all the circumstances of a mercy which magnify the power of God and his goodness to us in it. David was a praying man, and God was found a prayer-hearing God. If we pray as he did, we shall speed as he did. God's manifestation of his presence is very fully described, Hebrews 5:7. God made the earth to shake and tremble, and the rocks to cleave, and brought him out, in his resurrection, because he delighted in him and in his undertaking.

Commentary on Psalm 18:20-28

(Read Psalm 18:20-28)

Those that forsake the ways of the Lord, depart from their God. But though conscious to ourselves of many a false step, let there not be a wicked departure from our God. David kept his eye upon the rule of God's commands. Constant care to keep from that sin, whatever it be, which most easily besets us, proves that we are upright before God. Those who show mercy to others, even they need mercy. Those who are faithful to God, shall find him all that to them which he has promised to be. The words of the Lord are pure words, very sure to be depended on, and very sweet to be delighted in. Those who resist God, and walk contrary to him, shall find that he will walk contrary to them, Leviticus 26:21-24. The gracious recompence of which David spoke, may generally be expected by those who act from right motives. Hence he speaks comfort to the humble, and terror to the proud; "Thou wilt bring down high looks." And he speaks encouragement to himself; "Thou wilt light my candle:" thou wilt revive and comfort my sorrowful spirit; thou wilt guide my way, that I may avoid the snares laid for me. Thou wilt light my candle to work by, and give me an opportunity of serving thee. Let those that walk in darkness, and labour under discouragements, take courage; God himself will be a Light to them.