Psalm 18
This lengthy psalm is a song of celebration after a great triumph in battle, and is full of vivid imagery. If I were an artist, maybe I could paint this psalm as a picture, but I'm a writer, so let's see if we can use our imaginations together to visualize the wonders that the psalmist portrays with his word pictures.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
Imagine, if you will, the Rock of Gibraltar. See it's majestic cliffs, and deep, intricate caves. Remember the movies that you have seen where battles were fought over this rock. Now can you imagine our God as a rock that is bigger and stronger than this? He is a mighty fortress in which you can take refuge.
4 The cords of death encompassed me,
And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.
5 The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
Now think about one of the Indiana Jones movies. This is like a nightmare where you are bound by ropes (or worse snakes), and there are traps set all around to keep you from escaping with the prize. Can you visualize the terror (queue the scary music!) but can you still hope that there is a way out? How will the hero survive?
7 Then the earth shook and quaked;
And the foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
Oh my! Now there is an earthquake! I haven't been in very many earthquakes myself, but I've heard the stories of my sister and her boys who survived that last big San Francisco earthquake. One of the nephews was driving and his whole truck shook like it was on a roller coaster, because the road was shaking so much. Now can you image that this terror and turmoil is due to the Lord's anger as He comes to your rescue? Think of the fright in the eyes of your enemies as they realize that their doom is near!
8 Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
Fire breathing dragons and monsters! Now we in a major Hollywood blockbuster, Godzilla versus to Hittites! Smell the smoke as the fire gushes out and consumes the flesh our the enemy. (I hope you're not eating dinner right now). Our God is a consuming fire!
11 He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
This part is easy for me to visualize because I live on the Gulf Coast where there are frequent strong storms and even hurricanes. Just yesterday, the clouds rolled in so thick that it turned day into night in just a few minutes, then the thunder rolled as the lightning crackled all around, shaking the house and terrifying the cats. When you are in the midst of such a storm, you are very thankful if you can take refuge in a strong house, for without shelter, you can be incinerated by lightning, crushed by a falling tree, pounded by hail or blown away by the cyclone and washed away in the flood. Better to have a secure shelter in such a storm.
19 He brought me forth also into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
Stay calm now, we're coming to the good part. Visualize the sun coming out after the storm. The grass is a special kind of green, and the air is fresh with the smell of past rain tinged with the tart smell of ozone from the lightning. The trees have ceased their shaking and all is calm. Image yourself in this peaceful place, with the Lord, and try to comprehend the love He has for you as He delights in you.
28 For You light my lamp;
The Lord my God illumines my darkness.
Maybe we can be a little silly now, after all those terrifying thoughts. Image yourself in a dark, dank cave, with a miners light on your helmut. It's flickering and about to go out, then then the Lord shows up and recharges your light, and the cave is now brilliantly illuminated. You can see the spectacular stalactites and stalagmites, and the shiny minerals glistening from the walls. Now you can see what you were missing with your poor, worn out light, now that the Lord has brought His grand light into play!
29 For by You I can run upon a troop;
And by my God I can leap over a wall.
Time for offense now! The attack is on and you are running with the troops, bounding over walls with the ease of a gazelle! The enemy is on the run. Press the fight until complete victory is won.
(We used to sing this verse in church in Pittsburgh, and some would literally run circles around the church. One of my friends had his eyes closed praying, and got completely bowled over by a rather large sister that was exuberantly running upon a troop!)
33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
And sets me upon my high places.
Let's finish with this one. This is a famous verse that inspired the title of the great devotional "Hinds Feet in High Places". After all the commotion, terror, and war, it's proper to quiet yourself and meditate on the goodness of the Lord who has delivered you. Think on all of the wonderful thinks that He has done for you. Remember the great bounty that He has brought to your family. Thank the Lord for all that He has done.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord,
And I will sing praises to Your name. NASB
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