Psalm 18 is a long psalm praising God for the achievements of a king, most likely king David. The wording in the psalm as a whole also lends itself to a form of prophecy – speaking of the Messiah who would come in David's line and be the ultimate conqueror over sin and death.
David went through some very difficult times. He was anointed king as a young man while another king was reigning. He had massive military success from killing giants with a sling-shot to leading armies but found himself abandoned and running for his life. He is known as a friend of God, and yet fails badly, progressing from adultery to murder.
Yet we see in this psalm his total trust on God, and his total acknowledgement that his success and his strength to endure come solely from God. As he flees over mountains so God makes him as surefooted as a deer. As he leads armies, it is God who is his trainer and shield. As he struggles with betrayal and abandonment, it is God who sustains him and who ultimately brings him out again.
The last line, "your help has made me great" is translated differently in other Bibles. Some say, "you stoop down to make me great" and others, "your gentleness has made me great." What a phenomenal picture.
The tenderness in the image of God stooping down to raise up David – an picture that you can see in your mind's eye of a father reaching down to his child to encourage or bless or even physically pick up and place on his shoulders – stooping down to make great.
But gentleness is a word and a quality that doesn't often get spoken of today. It is the quality of controlled strength. A weak person isn't gentle, he is simply weak. It takes a strong person to be gentle. God deals with us with tenderness and gentleness. Elsewhere in the psalms it says that 'he remembers that we are dust" – he knows our weaknesses our areas of hurt, the sins we continue to stumble with – and he deals with us gently.
Take a moment to think back over your life. Can you see times where he has given you strength to endure? Can you see a time where he has given you the courage to stand up for what was right? Can you see times where he has guided and trained you? Can you remember times where he has dealt gently with you?
Remember and give thanks – this is our God. The one who arms us with strength and makes our way secure. The one who trains and sustains us. The God whose gentleness makes us great.
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