Psalm 18 Exhortation

Psalm 18 Exhortation

“To the God Who Delivers”

God is a very present help in a time of trouble. I have a personal testimony that I also called upon the Lord in distress and he heard me and answered my cry. The Lord delivered me and set me free. He will do the same thing for you. The Bible tells us to pray all kinds of prayers. God trains our hands to war. We are not called to stand by twiddling our thumbs while the enemy ravages our families, churches, lives, bodies, minds, finances. God is loving, kind, and full of compassion with new mercies every day But He is also a man of War.

Born Again Christians, Believers, Citizens of the Kingdom of God are not called to stand around and get a beat down where the enemy is destroying churches, ministries, families. The Church is to be effective in compassion, teaching, preaching, worshipping, witnessing Also, War.

Jesus said, ‘upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’. What comes to mind when you think about the ‘gates of hell’. Does it sound like the devil, yes the devil, the devil that many don’t want to talk about! Does the ‘gates of hell’ sound like the devil is just going to come and lightly tap on your front door, softly ring the door bell, and politely ask can I come in and kill, steal and destroy everything from the Kingdom of God, please and thank you.?

God has given us highly effective weapons and we must use them. Do not be afraid of the tactics of the enemy, God is with you and will help you to use the double edged razor sharp sword as a weapon to fight.

Our Faith in the Word of God is a weapon, that’s why our faith is attacked in various ways. It is time to let all of heaven know that we will fight back against the wiles of the enemy and quench every fiery dart. Every citizen of the Kingdom of God is called to the Battlefield. Where is the battlefield located? The mind is the battlefield. Your mind, my mind, the mind of the Fivefold, the mind of our loved ones, the mind of our friends, community, nation, nations. But thanks and praise to God who is our Deliverer.

I want to look at Psalms 18 as a story of Deliverance. How God delivered David from all of his enemies and remind you that God will do for you just what He did for David. God is our Deliverer and we should not fear, we have power. The power of life and death in our tongue. We have the power of the Decree and we can Declare the Word of God and win every battle. We are active warrior participants, not lazy spectators: I’m just going to eat popcorn and lemonade while God fights my battles. No.

In Exodus 14 when Moses comforted the people: Vs. ¹³ And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. ¹⁴ The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Amen, Hallelujah, Thank you Jesus. But, what did the LORD say in reply to Moses? Vs. 15-16: ¹⁵ And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: ¹⁶ But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. (Please read the entire chapter 14—it is a treat and picture it as you read it—God is Amazing). Just like the Lord was with Moses and the children of Israel in that battle, leading them, guiding them, directing them—fighting the battle; He will be with you, you to whom He gave authority, dominion, power through Jesus Christ.

Kingdom Citizens must contend for the souls and lives of those who are weaker and don’t know how to fight back for themselves, yet. We are called to War, although our battle is not with flesh and blood; person to person combat we still must battle. We must stand our position and fight back, we are fighting from Victory. We already have victory and we still must fight. It’s a spiritual battle, it’s battle for the souls/minds of people.

We are returning to a time when the ‘Fear of the Lord’ will come upon people. Respect and reverence for God. God still has a Remnant who will remain faithful. People who have hardened their heart, persecute the church fearlessly, deny the true and living God, criticize God’s Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Evangelist, Teachers will experience the Sovereignty of Almighty God. Accusers, Talk about the church relentlessly and deny the faith. Citizens of the Kingdom of God, believers defend the Faith; the key word here is Defend.

God has not left us comfortless. We have a great Comforter who will lead us and guide us into all truth. The Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to know how to fight, what exactly we are fighting, what weapons to use in the battle for the Victory. Love propels us to fight. Love never fails it doesn’t shrink back and abandon ship.

God delivered David from all his enemies, even Saul and God will deliver you. Have faith in God. Be encouraged. Open your mouth, open your mind, fight in the spirit and win. God is with you, you are not alone. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes so that you can see there are more with you than against you, you have heaven backing you up because you are Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is within you and you do not need to fear what man can do.

The words in this Psalm 18 are spirit and they are life. I am sharing three different versions, which one do you prefer? Which of the three speak to you most effectively? Which of the three versions do you think will stand out for you? Which do you understand better? Which of the three versions of Psalm 18 will you recall when you are in the heat of the battle? Let the Word of the Lord bless you richly and hide this word in your heart. (Look at other translations and versions of Psalm 18 as well). It’s 50 verses long——-Enjoy the adventure!!!

The King James Version Or The Passion Translation Or The Message Bible

Psalm 18 The Passion Translation

Praises sung to the Pure and Shining One, by King David, his servant, composed when the Lord rescued David from all his many enemies, including from the brutality of Saul. I Love You, Lord. A song^[b] to the Pure and Shining One by King David, his servant, composed when the Lord rescued David from all his many enemies, including from the brutality of Saul.^[c] He said:

18 I love you, Yahweh, and I’m bonded to you, my strength! ² Yahweh, you’re the bedrock beneath my feet, my faith-fortress, my wonderful deliverer, my God, my rock of rescue where none can reach me. You’re the shield around me, the mighty power^[e] that saves me, and my high place. ³ All I need to do is to call on you, Yahweh, the praiseworthy God. When I do, I’m safe and sound in you— delivered from my foes!

^4–5 For when the cords of death wrapped around me and torrents of destruction overwhelmed me,^[f] taking me to death’s door, ⁶ in my distress I cried out to you, the delivering God, and from your temple-throne you heard my troubled cry,  and my sobs went right into your heart.^{[g] 7} The earth itself shivered and shook. It reeled and rocked before him. As the mountains trembled, they melted away, for his anger was kindled on my behalf! ⁸ Fierce flames leapt from his mouth, erupting with blazing, burning coals as smoke and fire encircled him.

^9–10 He stretched heaven’s curtain open and came to my defense. Swiftly he rode to earth as the stormy sky was lowered. He rode a chariot of thunderclouds amidst thick darkness; his steed was a cherub, soaring on outstretched wings of Spirit-Wind. ¹¹ Wrapped in the thick-cloud darkness, his thunder-tabernacle surrounded him. He hid himself in mystery-darkness; the dense rain clouds were his garments. ¹² Suddenly the brilliance of his presence broke through with lightning bolts and hail—a tempest dropping coals of fire. ¹³ The Lord thundered; the great God above every god spoke with his thunder-voice from the sky. The Most High uttered his voice!

¹⁴ He released his lightning-arrows, and routed my foes. See how they ran and scattered in fear! ¹⁵ Then with his mighty roar he laid bare the foundations of the earth, uncovering the secret source of the sea. The hidden depths of land and sea were exposed by the blast of his hot breath. ⁶ He rescued me from the mighty waters and drew me to himself! ¹⁷ Even though I was helpless in the hands of my hateful, strong enemy, you were good to deliver me. ¹⁸ When I was at my weakest,^[j] my enemies attacked—but the Lord held on to me. ¹⁹ His love broke open the way, and he brought me into a beautiful, broad place.^[k] He rescued me—because his delight is in me!^[l]

²⁰ He rewarded me for doing what’s right and staying pure.

²¹ I will follow his commands and I’ll not sin by ceasing to follow him, no matter what. ²² For I’ve kept my eyes focused on his righteous words, and I’ve obeyed everything that he’s told me to do. ²³ I’ve been blameless before him and followed all his ways, keeping my heart pure. ²⁴ And so Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, because I kept my heart clean before his eyes. ²⁵ Good people will taste your goodness. And to those who are loyal to you, you love to prove that you are loyal and true. ²⁶ And for those who are purified, they find you always pure. But you’ll outwit the crooked and cunning with your craftiness. ²⁷ To the humble you bring heaven’s deliverance, but the proud and haughty you disregard. ²⁸ God, all at once you turned on a floodlight for me! You are the revelation-light in my darkness, and in your brightness I can see the path ahead. ²⁹ With you as my strength I can crush an enemy horde, advancing through every stronghold that stands in front of me.^[m]

³⁰Yahweh, what a perfect God you are!  All Yahweh’s promises have proven true. What a secure shelter for all those who turn to hide themselves in you, the wraparound God. ³¹ Could there be any other god like Yahweh? For there is not a more secure foundation^[o] than you. ³² God, you have wrapped me in power and made my way perfect. ³³ Through you I ascend to the highest peaks to stand strong and secure in you.^[p]34 You’ve trained me with the weapons of warfare-worship; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. ³⁵ You empower me for victory with your wraparound presence. Your power within makes me strong to subdue. By stooping down in gentleness, you made me great! ³⁶ You’ve set me free, and now I’m standing complete, ready to fight some more! ³⁷ I caught up with my enemies and conquered them and didn’t turn back until the war was won! ³⁸ I smashed them to pieces and I finished them once and for all; they’re as good as dead. ³⁹ You’ve placed your armor upon me and made my enemies bow low at my feet.

⁴⁰ You’ve made them all turn tail and run, for through you I’ve destroyed them all! ⁴¹ They shouted for help, but no one dared to rescue them. They cried out to Yahweh, but he refused to answer them. ⁴² So I pulverized them to powder and cast them to the wind. I swept them away like dirt on the floor. ⁴³ You gave me victory on every side, for you make me a leader of nations. Even those I’ve never heard of come and bow at my feet. ⁴⁴ As soon as they heard of me they submitted to me. Even the rebel foreigners obey my every word. ⁴⁵ Their rebellion fades away as they come near; trembling in their strongholds, they come crawling out of their hideouts, cringing in fear before me. ⁴⁶ Yahweh lives! Praise is lifted high to the unshakable God! Towering over all, my Savior-God is worthy to be praised! ⁴⁷ Look how he pays back harm to all who harm me, subduing all who come against me. ⁴⁸ He rescues me from my enemies; he lifts me up high and keeps me out of reach, far from the grasp of my violent foe. ⁴⁹ So I thank you, Yahweh, with my praises!  I will sing my song to the highest God, so all among the nations will hear me. ⁵⁰ You have given me, your king, great victories. You’ve always been tender and kind to me, your anointed one, your loving servant, David, and to all my descendants!

(Retrieved from Biblegateway.com. The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. thePassionTranslation.com)

Psalm 18 KJV

Theme: Gratitude for deliverance and victory. The only sure way to be delivered from surrounding evil is to call upon God for help and strength. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,

18 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.² The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. ³ I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. ⁴ The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. ⁵ The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. ⁶ In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. ⁷ Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. ⁸ There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. ⁹ He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

¹⁰ And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

¹¹ He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. ¹² At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. ¹³ The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. ¹⁴ Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. ¹⁵ Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. ¹⁶ He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. ¹⁷ He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. ¹⁸ They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. ¹⁹ He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

²⁰ The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. ²¹ For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. ²² For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. ²³ I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. ²⁴ Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. ²⁵ With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; ²⁶ With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. ²⁷ For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. ²⁸ For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. ²⁹ For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. ³¹ For who is God save the Lord? Or who is a rock save our God? ³² It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. ³³ He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places. ³⁴ He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. ³⁵ Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. ³⁶ Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. ³⁷ I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. ³⁸ I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. ³⁹ For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

⁴⁰ Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. ⁴¹ They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered them not. ⁴² Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. ⁴³ Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. ⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. ⁴⁵ The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. ⁴⁶ The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. ⁴⁷ It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.

⁴⁸ He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. ⁴⁹ Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. ⁵⁰ Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

Notes—From Life Application Study Bible

Here are some notes you can refer to while studying this song of Deliverance:

• This Psalm is almost a duplicate of 2 Samuel 22. It may have been written toward the end of David’s life when there was peace. God is praised for his glorious works and blessings through the years.
• Vs.2-3 God’s protection of his people is limitless and can take many forms. David characterized God’s care with five military symbols. God is like
  • 1. A rock that can’t be moved by any who would harm us
  • 2. A fortress or place of safety where the enemy can’t follow
  • 3. A buckler, or shield, that comes between us and harm
  • 4. A horn of salvation, a symbol of might and power
  • 5. A tower high above our enemies. If you need protection, look to God
• Vs. 10 A cherub is a divine being that may belong to one of the ranks of angels. One of the functions of the cherubim was to serve as guardians. These mighty angels guarded the entrances to both the tree of life (Genesis 3:24) and the Most Holy Place (Exodus 26:31-33). Two cherubim of beaten gold were part of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18-22). The living creatures carrying God’s throne in Ezekiel 1 may have been cherubim.
• Vs.13 “The Highest” was an important designation for David to make. Heathen idol worship was deeply rooted in the land, and each region had its own deity. But these images of wood and stone were powerless. David was placing the Lord alone in a superior category: He is by far the Highest.
• Vs. 16 Troubles, like “many waters”, can threaten to drown us. David, helpless and weak, knew that God alone had rescued him from his enemies when he was defenseless. How often we wish God would quickly rescue us out of our troubles. Remember that God can either deliver us or help us remain steady as we go through troubles (18:18). Either way, his protection is best for us. When you feel like you are drowning in troubles, ask God to help you, hold you steady, and protect you. In his care, you are never helpless.
• Vs. 30 Some people think that belief in God is a crutch for weak people who cannot make it on their own. God is indeed a buckler (shield) to protect us when we are too weak to face certain trials by ourselves, but he does not want us to remain weak. He strengthens, protects, and guides us in order to send us back into an evil world to fight for him. And then he continues to work with us, because the strongest person on earth is infinitely weaker than God and needs his help. David was not a coward; he was a might warrior who, with all his armies and weapons, knew that only God could ultimately protect and save him.
• Vs. 32-34 God promises to give us strength to meet challenges, but he doesn’t promise to eliminate them. If he gave us no rough roads to walk, no mountains to climb, and no battles to fight, we would not grow. He does not leave us alone with our challenges, however. Instead he stands beside us, teaches us, and strengthens us to face them.
• Vs. 35 David offers an interesting twist to the concept of greatness, saying that God’s gentleness had made him great. Our society believes that greatness is attained through a combination of opportunity, talent, and aggressiveness. But true greatness comes from living according to God’s laws and standards and recognizing that all we have comes not from our own ability and effort, but from the gentleness of God’s mercy. Are you seeking his kind of greatness?
• Vs. 40-42 David was a merciful man. He spared the lives of
  • Saul (1 Samuel 24:1-8)
  • Nabal (1 Samuel 25:21-35)
  • Shimei (2Samuel 16:5-12)
  • Showed great kindness to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9)
• In asking God to destroy his enemies, David was simply asking him to give the wicked the punishment they deserved.
• Vs. 43-45 David’s great power had become legendary. God gave him victory in every battle.
• The book of 2 Samuel records victories over the
  • Jebusites (5:6-10)
  • Philistines 5:17-25; 8:1
  • Hadadezer of Zobah 8:3,4
  • The Syrians 8:5,6,10
  • The Edomites 8:13,14 and
  • The Ammonites 12:26-31
• In addition, the king of Tyre sent supplies and workmen to help David build his palace (5:11). But David did not attribute his victories to himself. He fully realized that the purpose of his position was to bless God’s people (1 Chronicles 14:2)

The Message Bible

18 ^1-2 I love you, God—you make me strong. 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. ^4-5 The hangman’s noose was tight at my throat; devil waters rushed over me. 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!

^7-15 Earth wobbles and lurches; huge mountains shake like leaves, Quake like aspen leaves because of his rage. His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke; his mouth spits fire. Tongues of fire dart in and out; he lowers the sky. He steps down; under his feet an abyss opens up. He’s riding a winged creature, swift on wind-wings. Now he’s wrapped himself in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness. But his cloud-brightness bursts through, spraying hailstones and fireballs. Then God thundered out of heaven; the High God gave a great shout, spraying hailstones and fireballs. God shoots his arrows—pandemonium! He hurls his lightnings—a rout! 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.

^16-19 But me he caught—reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved—surprised to be loved! ^20-24 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. Now I’m alert to God’s ways; I don’t take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I’m watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

^25-27 The good people taste your goodness, The whole people taste your health, The true people taste your truth, The bad ones can’t figure you out. You take the side of the down-and-out, But the stuck-up you take down a notch. ^28-29 Suddenly, God, you floodlight my life; I’m blazing with glory, God’s glory! I smash the bands of marauders, I vault the highest fences. ³⁰ What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him Makes it. ^31-42 Is there any god like God? Are we not at bedrock? Is not this the God who armed me, then aimed me in the right direction? Now I run like a deer; I’m king of the mountain. He shows me how to fight; I can bend a bronze bow! You protect me with salvation-armor; you hold me up with a firm hand, caress me with your gentle ways. You cleared the ground under me so my footing was firm. When I chased my enemies I caught them; I didn’t let go till they were dead men. I nailed them; they were down for good; then I walked all over them. You armed me well for this fight, you smashed the upstarts. You made my enemies turn tail, and I wiped out the haters. They cried “uncle” but Uncle didn’t come; They yelled for God and got no for an answer. I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind. I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.

^43-45 You rescued me from a squabbling people; you made me a leader of nations. People I’d never heard of served me; the moment they got wind of me they listened. The foreign devils gave up; they came on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts. ^46-48 Live, God! Blessings from my Rock, my free and freeing God, towering! This God set things right for me and shut up the people who talked back. He rescued me from enemy anger, he pulled me from the grip of upstarts, He saved me from the bullies. ^49-50 That’s why I’m thanking you, God, all over the world. That’s why I’m singing songs that rhyme your name. God’s king takes the trophy; God’s chosen is beloved. I mean David and all his children—always.

I Pray that you receive the Word of the Lord, Gladly. Be encouraged! You must be born again. Receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. Romans 10: 9  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (ESV).

Oh, Homework: please please please share with me 3 things that you takeaway from this Psalm 18 exhortation. I am excited to see your takeaways…………….

Email: rhondascottministries@yahoo.com

I pray that you grow in your love and hunger for God. That you hunger and thirst for righteousness. That you feel the love of the Father. That you be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. That you feel the Fire of God burning in your heart. That you build up your most holy faith and pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit and that you trust God completely. That you experience God as your healer, deliverer, provider and protector in the name of Jesus. I pray that you share your faith and be a strong bold witness for Jesus Christ. I pray that you represent the Kingdom of God with love and grace, that your are quick to forgive, and eager to pursue peace. I pray in agreement with Isaiah 54:17 that No weapon that is formed against you will prosper and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is your heritage in the Lord and your righteousness is of me, says the Lord. I appropriate the Blood of Jesus to your mind and every area of your life. “Now unto him that is able to keep your from falling and to present you fautless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen

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