Psalm 18:30-36

Psalm 18:30-36
As for God – His way is perfect;
The Word of Jehovah is tried;
He is a shield to all who find refuge in Him.
For who is God but Jehovah,
And who is a rock save our God?
The God who girdeth me with strength,
And maketh my way perfect;
Who maketh my feet like hind’s feet,
And setteth me on my high places;
Who traineth my hands for war,
So that mine arms can bend a bow of brass.
And Thou hast given me the shield of Thy salvation,
And Thy right hand hath holden me up,
And Thy graciousness hath made me great.
Thou hast made room for my footsteps under me,
That mine ankles have not slipped.

God’s way, His path, is perfect. Read down a few verses, and we see that the outcome of this is that He makes my way and my path perfect. I can trust the way that lies before me because I can know that it is God who lays out the path. His Word is where the path is laid out and made known to us. Jehovah’s Word is tried; it has been shown to be pure and true, perfect and flawless. God doesn’t stop there; He not only sets our path under our feet, but He protects us as a shield. A shield is a defensive weapon. You hide behind it, letting it take the blows for you. Jehovah plans the way we should go and then protects us as we walk the path. What other God can do that? What other God can stand and not be moved? He is as immovable and unbreakable as a great rock that withstands the march of time.

Who is this God? Who is this rock? David testifies that this is the God who arms him with strength, who makes his way perfect, who gives him the quickness and sure-footedness of a deer, who puts him in a position of military strength that allows him possession of the whole country, who gives him the skill and the strength of Ulysses to bend a bow of bronze that no one else can use. God gave David the ultimate protection, the shield of salvation, and the ultimate sustaining power, His own. God stooped down to David’s level, and lifted him up high. God even kept him from stumbling on the difficult path.

I am no David, but David wrote this not just for himself, but for us too. All of scripture is for us as well as the people in the day that it was written. I am a child of God, just as David was, and this is for me. Go back and read this passage, with the knowledge that God has done these things for you. God will continue to do these things for you; pray that you will see it.

©Rebecca A Givens, 12/07/07