Peace dude

Psalm 18

Psa 18:1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD rescued him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

He said: I love you, O LORD, my strength.
Psa 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psa 18:3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Oh what a comforting psalm this is, the comparisons that it brings in are so powerful. As a member of a profession of arms, (yeah yeah input Air Force jokes here) military references mean so much more to me. Such as fortress ,a place to fight battles, a strong building, Stronghold has so much more depth, it is a place of defense, of protection, of safe rest and better yet it is generally where the leader is. Once again Spurgeon hits it right on with.

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress.” Dwelling among the crags and mountain fastnesses of Judea, David had escaped the malice of Saul, and here he compares his God to such a place of concealment and security. Believers are often hidden in their God from the strife of tongues and the fury of the storm of trouble. The clefts of the Rock of Ages are safe abodes."

more and more this becomes a comfort to me, knowing that I can always hide in God's protection. with the recent events at Fort Hood TX, the base here has been doing "extra" to "protect" us, but it is pathetic compared to the protection that David sings about, this awesome peace our LORD grants us. It is somewhat worrying that we could have a person like that terrorist gunman in our armed forces. Not knowing if there is one on my base with me frightens me even more... BUT. I know that's what the terrorist are driving for, that's why we call them TERRORists. Thankfully we do not need to live in fear of them, we have "the Rock"(no not Duane Johnson) on our side (so who can be against us... no really, bring it fools! {sorry about that}), that IS peace to the max for me. David also says...


Psa 18:4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;
Psa 18:5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
Psa 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.

So here comes trouble, barreling down on us from the evil one. Where better to turn than to... if I can steal from Chaucer in "Knights Tale"... The Rock the hard place, we walk in the garden of his turbulence, the ONE, the Only (and here the simile ends) Lord God Al-butt kicking-Mighty? Who side is it better to be on? Just look at all He does in these verses...

Psa 18:7 Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.
Psa 18:8 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.
Psa 18:9 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.
Psa 18:10 He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
Psa 18:11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water.
Psa 18:12 Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
Psa 18:13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire.
Psa 18:14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
Psa 18:15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.


Who have I to fear with Him. Not life, not death, not the fact that one of my wingmen here might be a sleeper cell for a terrorist organization. This is true peace that only the Lord God grants. No where else is it found. Not in a hammock sipping lemonade in some forgotten archipelago, not sitting on top of a mountain, not even when you are being held in the arms of a person that you love and that loves you. This is a supernatural peace, one that doesn't make any worldly logical sense. And yet we have this peace as a gift, we have this Strong fortress to run to. King David isn't finished yet though...


Psa 18:16 He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.
Psa 18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
Psa 18:18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
Psa 18:19 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
Psa 18:20 The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
Psa 18:21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
Psa 18:22 For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me.
Psa 18:23 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt.
Psa 18:24 So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
Psa 18:25 With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
Psa 18:26 with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
Psa 18:27 For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.
Psa 18:28 For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.


in verse 19 "he rescued me, because he delighted in me." It amazes me... God delights in us and rescues us not by our own merit as the verses do go on to say eventually. ( now it may appear that it is merit based, according to what David is saying but I belive it to be a foreshadowing of what Christ does for us in dying on the cross imparting His perfect Righteousness on our behalf)...


Psa 18:29 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.
Psa 18:30 This God--his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
Psa 18:31 For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?--
Psa 18:32 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.
Psa 18:33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.
Psa 18:34 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

Once again David the Warrior poet brings us back to the military references. The LORD making him able to do what he would normally not be able to do, or even think of doing.


Psa 18:35 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.
Psa 18:36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.
Psa 18:37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed.
Psa 18:38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.
Psa 18:39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.
Psa 18:40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed.
Psa 18:41 They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
Psa 18:42 I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets.
Psa 18:43 You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me.
Psa 18:44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me.
Psa 18:45 Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses.
Psa 18:46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation--
Psa 18:47 the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me,
Psa 18:48 who delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence.
Psa 18:49 For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name.
Psa 18:50 Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.


All praise be to our King, Our Rock, our fortress, our stronghold for the peace that He grants us, this peace that passes all understanding. O Brothers and Sisters take Hold of this peace so freely given. Remember David was being chased by King Saul and his army. What have you been through recently that has been that bad? Seriously? To all my spiritual siblings that are struggling, be it with relationships, or sickness, or persecution or even finding time in the day to sit and read God's word. take some time today or tomorrow to rest in his protection to rest in his peace, and give your problems to the Lord let him fight with you. Let Him fight for you.

Seriously... peace out
Scott M.