Daily Meditations

Psalm 18:5   Cords of death      The Psalmist continues!  “The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.”   It is interesting to compare these images, written 1,000 years before Christ, with the modern views of death. Today, people rarely give it thought or if they do, it is suppressed. Many fear death but, because of the care facilities available, they lose sight of their end through dementia, palliative care, drugs and general ill health where life slowly slips away. David is writing of an experience where he was totally compos mentis, where there were no pain-killing medicines or a drug-induced stupor; he is in a place where he is fully conscious and aware of the inevitability of death. Since no one had been to Sheol and returned, how did he know what awaited him? Did the ancients have no anticipation of being preserved or kept when life finally ebbed away? There is no doubt that this “near death” experience was extremely frightening for David and

Psalm 18:4   Mortal danger!     There is a parallel passage to these verses, in 2 Samuel 22:5, that speaks of waves of death rather than cords of death. Whichever words are correct we get a mental picture of a man who sees his life slipping away, the clutches of death are reaching out and grasping hold of him and he has experienced the sense of being pulled down from life into the grave or a premonition of drowning under the waves of his impending doom. David is writing after he had conquered the foreign armies of the surrounding nations and after he had escaped the attempts by Saul to kill him. He had known what it felt like to be in mortal danger. Death here is depicted as a stormy, possessive force, like nature at its most threatening, its clutches more demanding and compelling as every moment passes. David speaks of torrents of destruction overwhelming him and we wonder how it was possible for someone to sink so low, to be so close to the gates of Sheol and yet live to tell th

Psalm 18:3a   Praise is for winners!     There is another string to this particular bow because praise is part of the weaponry, given to us by the Lord, that will bring down our enemies. The Satan and his demons must flee from the sound of praising lips. How can they be influential when a heart is pouring out expressions of honour and glory to God and to His Holy Son Jesus? If God is in His right place, you can be sure the Satan is in the wrong place! You see, it is like a laboratory balance, the higher one side rises, the lower the other must fall. That is why we speak of Jesus being enthroned in our praise, He is lifted up. If we exalt the Lord, the Satan must diminish, the more He is diminished the more Jesus reigns! If we glorify evil and sin, the Lord withdraws His presence and sin reigns. Praise in the darkest of places will expel evil, as Paul and Silas found in the Philippian jail. When we praise, darkness will flee.  A church that praises will be a church full of glory. A

Psalm 18:3   Praise Him!   Whichever of the previous scenarios fits our present situation we should be able to reflect that when we called upon the name of the Lord – He answered our prayer. The Lord who alone is worthy of praise.  Praise includes the songs and hymns of glory and exaltation that bubble from our souls, our minds and our lips and is not to be confused with worship which is our life, our attitude and the heart of our being. Praise can come from the lips of children who know nothing of worship, they praise because they are created to react to an external source of love and well-being. The further we push God away in our thinking, the more empty and pointless praise becomes. So, a praising child becomes an unbelieving, mute adult. Praise is an expression of a full heart and there is no one who is worthy of our praise like the Lord. David wrote songs, played music and sang because the Lord is worthy to be acclaimed and revered. Like him, we find that, from deep within,

Psalm 18:2   Prepare for conflict     As we meditate on verse 2 of this Psalm and get a grip on the various ways in which the Lord provides, we will realise that we are being prepared for conflict!    If you look carefully at the previous lists you will see that there will be times when: - 1.       We will be empowered to defeat the enemy 2.       We will need to lie low in a rocky place that acts as a barricade 3.       We will need to be protected by battlements and fortifications 4.       We will need to “run for it” and take cover 5.       We will need the safety of a massive cliff with its caves 6.       We will need the Lord to shield us on the battlefield 7.       We will see Him in action as a triumphant, all-conquering King 8.       We will need to look out from a high place and see the enemy afar but be safe It is noticeable too, from these descriptions, that there are occasions when we need: - 1.       To stand and fight  2.       To lie low 3.

Psalm 18:2   The Lord will provide      What was it that drove David to speak so passionately and cry,  “I love You, Lord, my strength?”  Well, in verse 2 he gives us a list of some of the benefits and blessings that God has provided; and each word is carefully chosen to reveal a different aspect of God’s provision. The Lord is my: - 1.       Strength                        God empowered him to fight and defeat his enemies            2.       Rock                              A rocky area, a place of shelter and safety 3.       Fortress                         A fortified castle or battlement 4.       Deliverer                       A way of escape 5.       Rock of refuge              A huge, sheer cliff 6.       Shield                            A defender of head and heart 7.       Horn of my salvation    A powerful King, like a mighty ox 8.       My stronghold              A high tower of protection As we consider these words it is tempting to glibly dismis

Psalm 18:1   I love You!      Well, these daily thoughts have become more than just a study of spiritual warfare, haven’t they? There is so much truth to explore and this Psalm of David is no exception. At first reading it appears to be solely written to exemplify the attributes of Almighty God, by using picturesque and symbolic language. Is this really what is happening or are some / all of these images to be taken literally?  The ancient cultures of the day saw their various deities in similar guises, as their statues, plaques and images have shown. It will be fascinating to dig deep and see what the Holy Spirit has to show us.  One thing’s for sure, we will have a better knowledge of who God is by the time we reach the end of Psalm 18! V1   David is celebrating his deliverance from all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.  He writes, in the introduction to this Psalm, not as the supreme, royal commander of his people, but as the “Servant of the Lord.” This is a humble beg

Psalm 17:15b   We shall see Him!    We need to spend a moment longer with verse 15. It’s all about vindication, about being declared right and being absolved from wrong; the New Testament word is justification. Because of Jesus we will be vindicated. Like David we too will see His likeness. When we awake from the slumber of physical death, for in Christ we just fall asleep, we will be more than satisfied to see His likeness. When Miriam and Aaron opposed Moses, the Lord met them in a pillar of cloud and spoke to them. He informed them that He conversed with Moses face to face and that Moses had seen the form of the Lord! Revelation 22:4 tells us that in the new Jerusalem City, at the heart of the new heaven and earth, will be the throne of God and of the Lamb. And His servants will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12 that now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. The Apostle John also wrote ab

Psalm 17:15   Vindicated!        This Psalm began with a heart cry from David, a plea for justice. In the succeeding verses he has set out his innocence, in contrast with the culpability of the wicked. Now the case has been reviewed and all of the facts written down, David is able to claim vindication.  It seems a rather curious way to deal with life’s injustices and yet the matter is so thoughtfully and carefully considered. All the evidence has been presented, all of the arguments made, and David finds himself able to stand before the Judge and Jury and rule that he is Not Guilty. Furthermore, he can look forward to meeting the Judge face to face. Instead of eternal damnation and judgement he anticipates an entrance into the throne room of God Himself. It is not hard to see Jesus in these verses, the suffering Lord bearing the shame and the guilt of the world but who Himself was sinless and guiltless. Jesus knew that He would be vindicated, that within days and weeks of Hi

Psalm 17:14   Inheritance   What a cruel list if curses this is, with more than a hint of cynicism! We would probably say we wouldn’t wish such things on our worst enemies! However, I think David is actually saying that if you choose this life alone to be rich, God will grant your request! You may have all of the best of this world if that is all that you want.  The earth yields its treasures, its precious metals, its oil and gases. The fields grow valuable crops and men rape the oceans of their fish. Traders, merchants and bankers grow rich on their profits and revel in their prosperity. But none of this lasts, it is only for this short life. Men and women of means think of ways of passing on their riches to their children, partly to continue their name and their fame down successive generations. God, by His mercy, allows them to do this but again only in this life, He does not allow them to take their fortune or their reputations out of this world. Such people may be generous to

Psalm17:14   Stand firm     We can now see, from this Psalm, that whilst the wicked, or our foes and our enemies, or the Satanic forces of evil, are raised up against us, we may stand firm in the Lord.  All hell may be unleashed but we are protected and safe. The world may seem to be against us but Almighty God, by His powerful hand, will keep us and we need not fear.  That was David’s conclusion in an age when possibly he alone had the Holy Spirit within him, and he will have stood alone against his enemies. The only stipulation that God makes is that we ensure that our own house is in order, our motives must be pure, our hearts must be pure, our cause must be legitimate and our consciences clear. Thank God that as we view ourselves before the cross, our Lord Jesus has made this all possible and thus we can trust in His sovereign protection every day of our lives. David now moves on with a stinging indictment of the wicked, they are of this world, therefore: - ·        Their

Psalm 17:13   Bear your sword!   Now we come to David’s petition to the Lord God; he has pleaded his innocence, he has set out his complaint.  In the light of all of this, action is required, justice must prevail, and the Lord must deal with the oppressors. They are guilty, they are the ones who should be punished, for David to be the victim is totally unfair. So, “ Rise up Lord. Confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked.”   David had, on numerous occasions in his life, fought against strong and wicked foes. His courage and resilience are legendary. However, on this occasion he leaves the matter in God’s hands; God must do the fighting, God must defend him, God must take the initiative. There are times when those who are against us are more powerful, better armed and more fearful than our own defences.  It is not cowardice to step back, weigh up our chances and admit we cannot win.  Sometimes it is all that we can do just to stand our ground, at oth

Psalm 17:10 - 12  The Lion of Judah    This entire Psalm describes the heart-cry of an innocent man appealing to a merciful Judge. David is setting out his case, by firstly declaring his innocence in verses 1-5 and then by appealing to the loving heart of God who is his attentive protector.    Sometimes, in life, there is no one else to turn to. We may, like Job, appeal to close companions and friends but even they do not understand the seriousness of the threat.    As the enemy stranglehold intensifies and we realise that we are powerless to defend ourselves there is only one Court of Appeal left. And so, David sets out his complaint and the cause of his terror; my enemies: - ·        Are out to destroy me ·        Surround me ·        Close up their callous hearts [literally “they are enclosed in their own fat”] ·        Speak arrogantly with their mouths ·        Have tracked me down and encircle me ·        Intend to throw me down with malice aforethought ·      

Psalm 17:9  More than conquerors    This is a continuation of what has gone before for, David takes comfort in the knowledge that he is the apple of God’s eye and protected in the shadow of His wings, for he is surrounded by and threatened by his enemies. This threat is not from just a few trouble-makers or from an inner circle of conspirators, his enemies surround him and are intent on his complete annihilation. David is in fear of his life! Thank God that we cannot see and do not know just how many are the enemies that surround us. If you are actively engaged in serving the Lord Jesus, if you are involved in Church leadership, if you are in the public eye as a Christian, there will be enemy forces intent on defeating you. If you share the Gospel with others, if you care for the needy with Christ’s compassion, if you stand alone for truth and integrity, there will be opposition forces against you. BUT, you are protected, you are guarded, you are hidden by the shadow of His wings.

Psalm 17:8b   Cover me     This surprising and momentous verse has not finished with us yet! “Hide me in the shadow of Your wings” is another phrase full of depth of meaning. When a male bird mates with a female it covers her with its wings! When Ruth visited Boaz in the night and asks him to spread his wings over his handmaid, she was literally suggesting that they get married! Ruth 3:9. It was Jewish practice for a bridegroom to cover his bride with his outer garment which was his prayer shawl. Today at Jewish weddings they use a “huppah” or canopy made of a prayer shawl on four poles.  The prayer shawl, or “tallit”, was commanded to be worn by all Jewish males [Numbers 15:37-41] and is still worn today by orthodox Jews. It is mentioned many times in Scripture and in relation to the Lord Jesus, for the prayer shawl had fringes or wings [tsitsit] and the “Son of righteousness shall rise with healing in His wings.” Malachi 4:2. That is why a woman of great faith who had an issue o

Psalm 17:8a   The apple of Your eye     The phrase, “keep me as the apple of your eye’ needs some explanation! In Scripture the apple is the eyeball or globe, which we know as the iris, with the pupil in the middle. It was deemed to be very precious and sensitive because the eyelid closes over it at the very slightest hint of danger. The Hebrew word is “ishon” thought to mean “little man” based on the idea that if you look closely into someone’s eyes you will see a reflection of yourself. God guarded Israel as the apple of His eye in Deuteronomy 32:10. In Proverbs 7:2 we are encouraged to guard God’s teachings as the apple of our eye. So, this beautiful metaphor sees David daring to assert that he may draw close enough to gaze into the eyes of God and see himself reflected!! Such is the intimacy and intensity of the relationship between this man and the Lord that the man knows He is the apple of God’s eye. Dare we believe this, that our Creator loves us so dearly that we are never

Psalm 17:7    Show me          “Show me the wonders of Your great love.” It’s so easy to read that phrase without stopping to ask what it means. Many people peruse the Old Testament and conclude that God is a harsh, judgemental tyrant, but that is not how David sees Him. For David, God is a God with a heart, a God of intense compassion who has an emotional attachment to His people. He is a God who is interested in us, who is merciful and who cares about the infinite details of all our lives. So, what are the wonders of His great love and how will He show these wonders? God’s kingdom is upside down, its values and its rules defy human logic.  God loves the unlovable, God reaches out to the lowest, the weakest, the rejected and the outcast.  God shows mercy to all, to the rich and the poor, to the weak and the strong.  There are no conditions, His love is not earned, it does not need to be vindicated and it makes no demands. God’s love is constant, undeserved and freely given and

Psalm 17:6     Bend Your ear    It is not unusual, on a hill climb, to come to a spacious cutting in the rocks, maybe where a stream tumbles over a cliff face and the over centuries has worn out a hollow. Such places are natural amphitheatres and we call out and hear our voice echo back. Sometimes, on the spiritual journey we reach a place where we call out to God, where we need to plead, where we entreat Him for mercy and justice. His answer is as certain as the echo from the rocks for He is never far from us. Thankfully it is not our own echo we hear but the voice of a patient, caring Father.  Sometimes there is a delay, but our God will never be silent, as we have seen He is the Word. However, He understands, when in anxiety we cry,  “Turn Your ear to me and hear my prayer.”  I can think of many who have made that cry and cannot think of anyone who has not, ultimately, received an answer. It seems a strange request to plead with Him to bend or incline His ear, to turn towards u

Psalm 17:5    Keeeeeeep climbing!    The tense used in this verse is not so much past but present, in others words it reads,  “You hold my steps in Your paths and my feet do not stumble.”  Jesus talked of the broad road that leads to destruction and He paints a picture in our minds of a well-trodden and well-populated highway that slopes easily away, where there are few obstructions, just an easy saunter towards judgement. I’m sure it is not so easy for many people, but the way of the saints is much harder. It is a path of self-sacrifice and trials, it is narrow and leads uphill, there are obstacles and curious diversions that waste our time and energy until we return back to the track. This path can be lonely and maybe shared with just a few close companions, we are tempted to turn around and to join the throng that ambles downhill but the call of the unknown, the unexpected, the anticipation of the summit draws us on. Most of all, we never walk this path alone for there is One wh

Psalm 17:4   The Power of the Word     It is not entirely clear what motivated David to write this Psalm, we don’t know the exact timing or the precise identity of his adversaries. Obviously there had been some background skulduggery going on, he hints at bribes and manipulation which suggests that his enemies were known to him and probably from within the kingdom rather than foreigners. The second part of this verse possibly reads more correctly as;  “I have kept myself from the ways of the destroyer, by the commands of your lips.”   What a statement! What an incentive for us all; if we want to be kept from evil and the ways of the evil one, we have our weapons and our defence, for we have the words and commands from the lips of God Himself.  “Your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  Psalm 119:11.  This is so important and it is a constant theme in the Scriptures.  If we want to stand against the enemy we can only do so if we stand on the Word. Th