Psalm 18:30
As for God, His way is perfect; the Word
of the Lord is flawless.
I can still remember the scene as if
it took place yesterday. The St. Louis
Rams had just won the Super Bowl and Kurt Warner was being interviewed. His words would be going out to a worldwide
audience. The interviewer asked, “Kurt,
tell us how you felt after throwing the game-winning touchdown to Isaac Bruce?”
Warner responded, “The first thing
I’ve got to do is praise my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!”
Wow!
What an uncommon athlete. Warner
gave glory to God rather than seek glory and acclaim for himself. That’s what David does in Psalm 18.
The subscription to this Psalm gives
the reason for the writing of this song.
David was hunted by his enemies with the same intensity that a rabid
football fan might seek an extra ticket for the Super Bowl. King Saul, filled with jealously and rage,
brought the power of the kingdom against David and his small group of
followers. Each time, God thwarted
Saul’s plans to destroy David. The evil
king could never defeat the one – David – God had chosen to lead His people.
David responds by writing a majestic
song of praise to his Lord. He points to
God’s grace as the reason for his many escapes and triumphs. David takes no credit for outfoxing
Saul. He does not boast of having a
superior intelligence or battle tactics.
He sings, “I love you, O Lord, my strength.” To the very end of the psalm, David keeps
pointing to the grace and mercy of God as the reason for his success.
Where has God surprised you with His
grace? When did you experience His mercy
in an extraordinary way? Was it when He
sustained you through a difficult experience?
Was it when He removed you from a painful situation. As you work through the psalm this week,
think about the song of praise you could sing to the Lord. You already have the opening verse: I love You, O Lord, my strength!
