Psalm 18:16-19

Psalm 18:16-19
He sent from above; He took me,
He drew me out of many waters,
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
And from them that hated me; for they were too strong for me.
They came upon me in the day of my calamity,
But Jehovah was my stay.
He brought me forth into a large place,
He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Here we go back to the imagery of the drowning swimmer. God reaches down through the flood and pulls David from the water. David would certainly have perished had God not pulled him from the current. Then David talks about an enemy that hates him and is too strong for him. King David, who killed Goliath as a young man, who faced Saul, who victoriously led his army in battle many times, admits that this enemy is too strong for him; but there is no enemy too strong for God, and God delivers David.

The last line of this section has been my life verse for the past 6 years. "He rescued me because He delighted in me." NIV. I struggled with this at first, because I didn’t feel like God had rescued me from a physical perspective; but then I finally realized the spiritual rescue of God. When I saw the reason for God’s rescue of me, I was awestruck. God delights in me. He didn’t rescue me because He had to, or because it was His duty to. He did not do it grudgingly or unwillingly. He didn’t do it for what I could do for Him, or because He owed me anything. He did it simply because He loves me and likes me; He enjoys my presence. Do you understand that? God, the Almighty Creator of the Universe, the Author of Salvation, the Sustainer of life, delights in His children and looks forward to spending time with us. Doesn’t that make you want to rush into His presence?

Oh God, it is incomprehensible that You should delight in me. But I will take You at Your Word and believe it and love You back! Forgive me when I forget or neglect You. Please give me the joy in my soul that comes from Your delight in me!

Rebecca A Givens, 10/25/07