A Path Through the Psalms (Chapter 18 part two) - More of the Deliverance of David

 

There's a path, let's follow it Well here we are half-way through this fabulous chapter 18! Last week we went part way, today we'll take another chunk of this great passage, it really is a deep well to draw from.  Along the way today we've got some great music, along with a story from my past which you'll not want to miss. We'll hear from our guest, Nancy Bentliff who is a former teacher at the Kings School in Basingstoke and is presently one of many parents around the country who are teaching their children from home. I think you'll draw much from her insight and take on the second portion of this chapter,   so let's get on the path

Psalm 18 (part 2)   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:   30 As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless;     he shields all who take refuge in him. 31 For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.  33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. 34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.  35 You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great. 36 You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way. 37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. 38 I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.  39 You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me. 40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,  and I destroyed my foes.  41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—     to the Lord, but he did not answer. 42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them[f] like mud in the streets.  43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;     you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me, 44 foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.   45 They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

Our chapter this week is not a lament song. Many of the first psalms that are recorded are laments, where David finds himself in a place of fear, worry, sadness and then eventually a place of praise. The lament is a journey, one that we all encounter, likely many times a day depending on our surroundings and circumstances.  Chapter 18 does not fit this bill. David is expressing that victory is won. His enemies have been scattered, the Lord has sustained him, watched over him and been the ultimate deliverer. The rollercoaster of emotion from despair to elation has not been ridden in this song. Expressing victory, that's what we read here!  Does this mean that we'll always see victory? Ultimately yes, through the power of Jesus, his sacrfice and resurrection assure the believer of victory, an eternal victory. We don't always see victory in our daily lives, or at least what we think is victory. There are so many hurdles that we face and through God's power attempt to jump over. Struggles, addictions, temptations that we give into. It can feel as though we are losing, but we must remember the big picture and the end game, victory is mine says the Lord. While the battle may at times be lost, we know who wins the war.

I'm not usually into covers, especially ones where the lyrics are adapted, but... I chose this to start us off today as we think about how perfect the love of God is in our lives, here's Perfect by Ed Sheeran as redone by Phillipa Hanna.

Vs 30 As for God his way is perfect. I'm not a perfectionist, in fact I struggle to see how a perfectionist thinks and acts sometimes. (If you are, I still love you, just may not always understand you:) I have to admit that I can settle for less than best. You're likely to find grammatical errors in today's path, I'm probably not going to catch every little detail. I just painted Katrina and Rose's bedroom, I think it looks nice, I did however see a couple of spots that weren't perfect. I've even been known to watch most of a film and then walk away to do something else right before the climax or cliffhanger finish. I'm grateful for perfectionists though. It's important to have perfection when it's a matter of safety and security. The doctor performing the surgery better be perfect that day, the mechanic fixing the airplane engine better get it right. A good friend of mine used to be an inspector of houses looking at every minute detail before they were deemed finished. He did scrutinous (word?) job of snagging each house, every blemish, mar, and scratch was noted and reported. The God that we serve, the God that David relied upon for everything is perfect. Perfect in all of his ways, his words are flawless, his love is never-ending and without blemish.

The psalmist here says that God makes him like a deer or hind, to stand, and be safe on high places. Does it look safe to you, do those animals have a sure footing? They sure do, they've got this. I don't want to be like that deer or goat above, I like the comfort and security of the ground. I also know that God cares for and watches out for me, much like the animal that is literally walking on the side of a cliff. Look at the second half of that verse 'he causes me to stand on the heights'. So while it may be scary and daunting action God at times takes us to that place of dependence on him. It reminds me of the faith required by Peter to walk on water. When his eyes were fixed on Jesus he walked, when they weren't he began to sink. This verse reminds us that while we may be on a high place that seems unsafe, God will make you tread like the deer above. That's a high level of security.

Let's hear what Nancy has to say about this passage of scripture.

'My Dad is stronger than your Dad'   You can probably visualise a tussle on the playground as two kids get into it, eventually this comment often gets yelled by one or both of them. It doesn't matter at that point which kid is stronger, it matters which dad is, or who can shout the loudest. Knowing that our God is stronger means we can go into battle with confidence. He not only is fighting the battle with us he is also providing for us within the battle. While we may not be literally fighting our enemies with our hands and feet, we are physical beings. The battle we face is real and takes the toll on our bodies and minds. Vs. 31,34 and 39 all speak about how God has armed the writer with strength, to the point of bending a bow of bronze. Being able to stand up to an enemy in battle is vital, having the strength to do so is of utmost importance. When you look at a battle of opposing forces the first question asked is usually 'who is stronger?' When God is on your side, or better yet you're on His side we know who is stronger. He arms me with strength, He arms you with strength. Why not pray this simple yet powerful prayer.    Lord, the battles I face today are real, would you arm me with the strength I need.

As I was writing the part on stronger I remembered this worship song by Hillsongs from a few years back. Turn it up and remember that He is stronger!

When I reread this chapter I saw all the potential dangerous situations that David writes about. Whether they be battle, or scaling a mountain, or the pursuit of enemies. The one that stood out though was from verse 36 where it says that God provides a broad path.                                                                            I'm not a mountaineer. What you see above is the gorgeous Copper Canyon in Mexico and those little dots are the village of Maugarichi. Many years ago Rebecca and I were able to lead three different groups of teenagers to Mexico on ministry trips, this little village was one of our destinations. It was about a six hour drive from Chihuahua city, three of those hours on a small mountain road. We had never gone beyond Maugarichi though, but an invite came to visit Las Lajas. Myself, Rebecca, James, Myrna and Brother Gabriel got into the van and drove off. We expected to be back to be with our group after a short visit. It turned into a longer drive than expected. Actually the 'road' once we left Maugarichi quickly turned more path like while overlooking the canyon floor to the left and the cliff to the right. Once we made it through that part it was more foresty (word?) including driving over branches here and there. Eventually, what felt like hours later we made it to Las Lajas. The mayor who we were going to meet wasn't home. We enjoyed a drink in a small house with his wife, and then decided we probably needed to leave. After getting heroically pushed up a mud hill by a group of men (a story for another day) we then had to drive all the way back. That meant back by the airstrip (the way people usually go there) the forest and eventually the canyon road. It was getting darker, sort of raining and I'd say we were nervous; actually freaked out. Brother Gabriel had decided it was wise if he were to walk in front of the van just to verify that the road would be safe enough to be driven upon. We didn't have other options, the cliff to our left and the thousands feet drop to the canyon below. It was in fact strong enough for us even though muddy, and it was also broad enough. When we got back to Maugarichi we had a story to tell, crazy memories made and we gave thanks to be with our group again.  Our God provides, in this case just enough of a broad path.

The words of our closing song could so easily have been penned by David. After all of the ordeals with the enemy, he remembers that it's the Lord who is always, always, always there. Feast on the beauty of this song and imagery, here's Into the Sea by Tasha Layton.

For our prayer today let's recall some of God has done as seen in this passage of scripture. Use this as example of using the song above to frame a prayer.  Lord, thank you that you are my defender, you are the one who sets my feet secure on high places in a place of safety. You are the one who silences my enemies, please quiet the enemy within that causes me trouble. You are the one who saves, sustains, trains and arms me for battle. Help me Lord in the battles I and my family face. Amen.

Next week it's chapter 19 of Psalms. Will be breaking down this passage and hearing from Pete Hay who is part of Hope Community Church in Basingstoke.

A Path Through Chapter 18 - A Full Deliverance

 

There's a path, let's follow it We've made it chapter 18, and it's a belter, in fact we'll take two weeks on this one. There is so much packed into this passage, it is a deep well to draw from.  We'll look at this chapter by getting our focus on the Lord, digging into this song and more. This week our guest speaker comes to us from Derby. It's Simon Shaw who was the principal of Kings Bible College when I attended many moons ago. After leading Community Church Derby for sometime he is now UK Director of World Horizons and the leader of the Source, Derby. He not only shares his thoughts on the first part of chapter, he also wrote a song for the occasion! so lets... get on the path

Psalm 18  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: 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[b] and the horn[c] 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.[d] 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.

There are some amazing words to start our path this week, check out verses 1-2. It was hard to narrow down a song choice to start us off, I've gone with a recording done in lockdown. It's the medley of In Christ Alone/Solid Rock by Travis Cottrell and Brentwood Baptist Worship.

That's mine! Get your hands off it, it's mine! You get your own, that one's mine.  If you have children in your house you likely hear these little statements quite often, maybe you still do even without children present. Having ownership is important, we all want it to some extent. My girls are extremely clear when something is theirs, when it's not a toy which they feel should be shared. If Katrina has a doll, it's hers, if Amy has an LOL it's hers. These are items not to be shared, we hear 'mine' stated or even shouted if other hands try to get their hands on those toys.  The psalmist David says 'my' over and over at the beginning of our psalm. My deliverer, my God, my rock, my shield, my, my, my. He's right, the Lord is his, and the Lord is mine. It's hard to wrap our minds around the idea that the Lord is everyone's all at the same time, with the same level of love and care for each and every person. So when David declares my, he's right, and you too can declare my, and you're right.

Let's take notice of the setting of this psalm. We find David after he had been fully delivered from his enemies including his arch nemesis, Saul. After all that David had endured and been through he was able to declare that God heard his call, that He had saved him. How? By the power of God. We see the images in verse 2; rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, horn and stronghold. Each of these is a striking picture of strength. They are meant to defend, to protect and keep one safe. With all that David had been through you can see why he chose these examples to speak of the immense dominance of the Lord.  As a result of his saving and power, David can see much like we often sing, 'He is worthy of praise'. As you read this psalm once again find yourself in the reality of these ancient songs. We all experience distress, trouble and hidden cords which entangle us from the inside. The virus effect and lockdown has brought the words of the psalms even closer to our minds and heart.

It would be really good to hear Simon Shaw's perspective, I think it will help us as we look further at this psalm along with looking at ourselves in these words.

Psalm 18 interpreted in song by Simon Shaw.

Below you'll see a link to the Source. Check it out if you like, it's the Christian community that Simon and Gaynor lead based in Derby.

The Source, Derby

From verses 6-13 we get a close up view of the awe inspiring imagery that David uses to help us understand the authority of the Lord. If I could draw or paint (well) these verses would elicit a scene in the ilk of what's seen in Revelation.   The earth quaking, trembling! Mountains shaking  Smoke rising Fire burning Blazing coals all coming from the face of the Lord.    This is how David attempted to describe the response of God when he was in distress and needed help. How did God help?   Parted the heavens Came down Mounted the cherubim He flew, he soared Made darkness his covering, canopy Clouds advanced, hailstone and lightning Thundered from heaven Voice of the Most High resounded Trying to put this imagery into our minds is well mind-blowing. Thinking about the power that is seen in these words of David shows us the immensity of the greatness that is attached to the name of the Most High. With this kind of response from God no wonder David could be so sure that the Lord did and would save him from his enemies. The Most High, the Lord can and does save us. Salvation isn't just a one-off when you're a child in Sunday school, it's a lifestyle and being saved continually. Much like we are filled with the Spirit, not just once or twice but being filled over and over, to overflowing.

It was a blustery day and we were up north with our friends spending an afternoon at a seaside town. After enjoying fish and chips some of our group decided to go down to the shell covered shore. The tide was beginning to come in, but it was still quite safe where we stood and watched the waves. Eventually my daughter Amy went into water, just a bit, then as you do a bit further. I was still up on the promenade watching, Rebecca was down on the shore. I ambled down to see what was happening and just as I reached the others the biggest wave came along and knocked Amy down. I saw this and immediately ran into the what I found out very quickly was extremely cold water. She had gone under, flailing a bit when I pulled her out and carried her sopping wet to the safety of the shore. Most likely she would have been ok, and caught her footing, but she recalls the day that 'daddy came in and saved me'.

Some of the most amazing stories are stories of rescue. We've all heard stories of An avalanche screaming down a mountain and burying all in it's way. Miraculously three days later skiers are found, and they are alive. What about the earthquake leaving rubble throughout, then somehow, someway a voice is heard and the rescuers dig their way to child who's been pinned, yet is still alive. Maybe you've been in a powerful rescue story?  Actually you have, so have I. Romans 6:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All have been offered salvation not by works but by the grace of God. Life in Christ, it's the most powerful rescue story you can tell.  Take a bit of time to reflect on the last verse of our path today. Why does God rescue? Because he delights in you. He loves you, cares so deeply for you and brings you into a spacious place with Him. Ruminate a bit on the rescue of God in your life, it's really worth thinking about.

As we come to a close today, we've seen that God is a God of rescue, he is the one who draws us out, keeps us safe and offers salvation. Forgive me for a bit of mixing metaphors with this song but here is You are my Rescue Story by Zach Williams.

Dear Lord, You are a God of rescue, you are the one who draws us out of the water and miry clay. Father I thank you that you have drawn me out, that I too have a rescue story to tell. Lord I pray that where I feel the enemies are closing in my life would you extinguish the fiery arrows of the evil one, keep me safe, secure and in your spacious place  Amen

This coming week we'll carry head-long further into chapter 18. We've looked at the first part today, coming next we'll hear from our guest speaker Nancy Bentliff as she takes us further on in this chapter.

A Path Through the Psalms (Chapter 16) - He is our Refuge, it's the same story as many other Psalms

 

There's a path, let's follow it Today on our path we encounter a truly wonderful chapter, what miktam this must have been. We'll be looking chapter 16 together as we stride down the path.  We'll break down this chapter, have some songs together, and hear from our guest speaker. This week it's Jonny Munby, he's a great friend of mine who wears various hats. He's a husband to Beth, father to Ena and Isaiah, he's an elder at Middlesbrough Community Church, and Principle Lecturer (International) at Teesside University Business School, we look forward to hearing from him. so let's get on the path Psalm 16 A miktam of David 1 Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”  3 I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” 4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips. 5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.     With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;     my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand Great are you Lord, we see in verse two that David refers to the Lord as the Lord and his Lord. Let's focus on the Lord by singing Great are you Lord by All Sons and Daughters.  We're going to go right to our guest speaker this week. I've been friends with Jonny ever since meeting him at Bible College as he visited his then girlfriend Beth, who was a student. Fast forward a couple of years and what a joy it was to speak at their wedding, we've spent some wonderful times together throughout the years. I think you'll get much out of his verse-by-verse look at our psalm.  Jonny Munby on Psalms 16 Wash, Rinse, Repeat. Been there, done that, got the T shirt. It's like a broken record, the same words over and over Refuge David can't get away from stating and reminding himself that in God alone he finds his refuge.  At this point it almost goes without saying, but I'll write anyway. God is your refuge too, whatever you are facing today, tomorrow or next week He is a refuge in times of trouble.  David is really clear that God is his God, and he is not going to look anywhere else for his strength. In verse 4 it's interesting to see that says he won't run after any others, sacrifice to or put their names on his lips. If we think back to the Ten Commandments which David would have surely known well, remember that the first two are about not having any other gods or making any images of other gods. It was a clear instruction to the people of God that Yahweh was the only option for them, He was their Lord and Father. Not Baal, Dagon, Molech, Marduk, Asherah or any of the other venerated gods of the day. The Lord was and is so clear that there are to be no other gods before him. The Old Testament is littered with stories of people turning to these and other gods, yet he alone is God.  In this psalm of worship David is not even going to entertain the idea of another god, it's Yahweh alone. In verse 5 then David states that Lord alone is his portion and his cup. This speaks of sustenance, the food needed for energy, and the water needed for life. In short God is all that he needs each and every day. This reminds us and gives us opportunity to thank the Lord for all that he has given to us, all that he has given to you. For his daily bread, the sunshine, family, health, a roof over your head and so, so much more.  David is celebrating in this psalm, that God is his God and he will receive an inheritance from God. When we think of an inheritance it is future, not something that is right now. Interestingly though in verse six he's already saying that the inheritance is delightful and pleasant to him. Not something for when a loved one passes away, but gifts from God to be enjoyed in the present. David is satisfied, all throughout this song we see the satisfaction that David has in the Lord. He is writing from a position of need, likely on the run from Saul yet again. He pens this song, which some call the 'Golden Psalm' or a psalm written in secret. This is twofold, one because he probably wrote it while cave-bound in hiding and secondly there are many secrets and treasures found throughout it's words. How about we pause and reflect together on this psalm as The Corner Room sings Psalm 16, it's such a pleasant song which helps brings this beautiful song alive. We all talk to ourselves don't we. I can hear myself saying 'Earl, don't drop that again, or I can do this, I can do this' We are probably our own worst critics along with being our best cheerleaders too. In verses 7-9 it seems like David is giving himself a pep-talk, we get to be inside of his thinking for a bit.  I will praise the Lord, I keep my eyes on the Lord, I will not be shaken.  He's stating his plan out-loud in song, but I think it's also a reminder to himself that this what he has committed to do. He's going to praise, he's going to keep his eyes open and not be shaken. No matter the situation, he knows where his help comes from and 'has his back'.  It's been a long time (too long really) since I've played on an organised sports team. I remember back in high school being in the huddle around the coach as we prepared to take the court. They were intense times, but the hard graft was done at practice working through drills, running, shooting and playing defense.  As team member you quickly realise you've got to have each others backs.  At practice everyone on the team from the star to the last guy on the bench has to run extra sprints, or hold the defensive position till it burns. Everyone is worn out, sweaty and ready for a cold drink. You learn that the next guy is more important than you, you learn how to watch after each other. Then when on the court in the actual game you're able to work together and hopefully be successful thanks to hard work and a coming together.  David knew who watched after him. As a result his body could rest secure knowing he wouldn't be abandon and especially through the intense struggle with Saul where some of the Psalms were penned. In the middle of trial and trouble David's knew and you can know or hopefully know where your anchor is placed.  There is a huge eternal perspective to this psalm. It's not only about God being the refuge and help in the present, but for eternity and evermore. This path that David highlights in verse 11 is one of joy and pleasures. While God lays out our path and reveals it through the Holy Spirit it is not only a path to be walked on, while on this terrestrial ball. The path is an eternal one, to be trod on for ever and a day. The joy that David experienced was with God, our joy which will last forever is not void of God, it's the absolute opposite. It's with Him, there is no separation, He is the reason for our joy. Our Psalm refers to the heart being glad and the tongue rejoicing. Imagine having 1,000 tongues to sing, Wesley wrote his famous hymn O for 1,000 tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise. In this song 1,000 Tongues the Vertical Church Band has their modern take on these powerful words.  For our prayer today let's take a portion of this great chapter and pray it, make it your own expression to the Lord. Vs 5-8 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. This coming week we'll be taking the first two weeks moving through chapter 18 of the Psalms. Our guest is Simon Shaw who the UK lead for World Horizons Ministries.  He'll bring us his perspective along with an original song on Psalm 18.