Daily Devotions – The Magnificent Power of God

Daily Devotions – The Magnificent Power of God

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Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:

 

Psalm 18:1-19 (NIV)
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: 1 I love you, Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. 8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. 9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky. 12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. 13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them. 15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

 

Why did David use such dramatic language to describe God saving him?

 

Holy God, I feel like I am facing many battles right now and am surrounded by evil. Sometimes it is overwhelming. David too faced many battles in life. He was surrounded by enemies. They were ‘too strong’ for him. However, they are not too strong for You. You rescued him from those that were too strong for him and when he looked back, he could see how You heard his cry and saved him from his enemies. When enemies attack and oppress Your people, You are angry about it. It happened in David’s time and it still happens today. When You are provoked to anger, You can do something about it. Even when You work in providential, behind-the-scenes sorts of ways, it is awesome. You are truly mighty. David was overwhelmed by Your power to deliver him from all enemies and David expressed his love, praise, and thanksgiving to You. Lord help me to see Your power and majesty over the wickedness of this world. Whether in difficulty or success, I want to follow David’s example by seeking to build my life on the foundation of prayer and worship. O Lord, You are my strength, my deliverer, my redeemer, my rock, my fortress, my shield, and My God. You are greater than the enemies and problems that surround me. I thank you so much for the many times when I have called to you for help and you have heard my voice. With all the challenges ahead, again I cry to you for help. In the Powerful and Majestic Name of Jesus, Amen