By Audrey Bauman

Psalm 18  NLT

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:

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. …

²⁸ You light a lamp for me.
     The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
²⁹ In your strength I can crush an army;
     with my God I can scale any wall.

³⁰ God’s way is perfect.
     All the Lord’s promises prove true.
     He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
³¹ For who is God except the Lord?
     Who but our God is a solid rock?
³² God arms me with strength,
     and he makes my way perfect.
³³ He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
     enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
³⁴ He trains my hands for battle;
     he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
³⁵ You have given me your shield of victory.
     Your right hand supports me;
     your help has made me great.
³⁶ You have made a wide path for my feet
     to keep them from slipping. …

David finally knows Saul has been defeated and he will become the next king. Psalm 18 is actually a long psalm as David recounts how difficult life has been for him in the last while. But today, I want you to concentrate on the praise David gives to God for his help during that tough time.

The last 5 or 6 years have been difficult. First we had Covid and all the stress that brought. We gave a sigh of relief as the medical field came up with better vaccinations and treatment, and life returned to what we considered normal. But now we face a more uncertain world with wars between Russia and Ukraine as well as Israel and Hamas. We're worried about the economy and our jobs as the US seems determined to create confusion over tariffs.

Sometimes we face challenging times in our lives. Maybe there is some kind of conflict within our family. Maybe our job is stressful. Perhaps we are facing some health problems. Stop and   look back over your life. Can you remember a time when God came through for you when you were feeling down and anxious? When you were facing something that worried you a lot? Stop for a minute or two and think about that time. Remember God’s faithfulness to you.

Here's my challenge for you today:

Go back and reread the verses from Psalm 18. Look for words and/or phrases that you can use to praise God yourself. Spend some moments praying and thanking God for his help. Use the words you found in this psalm.

Our song for today is 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman