“I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
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.”
Psalm 18:1-6 NIV

The verses that follow would make for an amazing Marvel comic. God moves and the earth trembles, smoke rises from his nostrils, He rides on the backs of cherubim and the wings of the wind, enveloped in cloud, rain and thunder He strikes out with lightning and redeems David as the oncoming storm of justice. He snatches David out of danger, death and despair and sets him on high ground, vindicated in his Master’s righteousness.

It is a powerful image, and a wonderful one to stand as encouragement to us today. Because this isn’t just an image. This isn’t just some fanciful dream of a oppressed mind. Adonai Elohim really is our rock and fortress, Elohim Piel really is our Deliverer. Listen in that first verse as David says, “I love you, Lord, my strength.” Speak that our loud and meditate on it. Remember that those words aren’t just from the heart of David, but they are part of our vocabulary, too.

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”
Psalm 18:16-19 NIV

With God as our strength, we find that not only are we rescued from danger, death and despair, but God also emboldens us to strike out and go serve for His sake in ways that only further glorify Him.

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.”
Psalm 18:25-29 NIV

It is God and His righteousness at work in us, His Law in our hearts, His will as our guide, His purity making us pure. We do not stand, vindicated by self or our own achievements. When we live in faithfulness to Him, His faithfulness is revealed to us. Again, not from our works, but out of His great grace and mercy. Out of His love, we are loved. He is the amazing one, we are simply blessed to be loved by Him and redeemed in Him.

“As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord ’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.”
Psalm 18:30-36 NIV

Listen to David proclaim His own weakness and brag about God’s strength. David claims no credit for himself, because when confronted with God and His might, we should be humbled, and David is indeed. Listen to all those pronouns, “He, His, You, Your”, David isn’t saying “Look what I can do!” He is proclaiming the might and wonder of God to rescues, strengthens and saves.

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.”
2 Peter 3:11-15 NIV

As we wait on the consummation of our faith, we have been given a purpose to fulfill:
1. Love God, and live according to His precepts, serving Him daily.
2. GoLove others in His Name, speeding the Kingdom forward, making disciples

Our Commissioning isn’t complicated. Life is what is complicated.
Trust God as your rescuer and as the One who imbues you with hope, courage, strength and a generous love.