Psalm 18:1–3 (NKJV) — 1 I will love You, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
In the words of Laurie Brendemuehl, writer of the song “I Love You Lord” we learn a the meaning of Psalm 18. “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. We learn in the darkness of life, when all is gone, lost and we have nothing else to hold on to, we have God. She writes, “I was lonely, the only things I was committed to was trying to get up each morning before our baby, then a toddler, and spend some time with Jesus.” For Laurie, her loneliness left her with nothing except these words, “I love you Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you.” Google her story.
It is impossible to walk through life without facing opposition especially as a Christian. Trials and tribulations follow us. When we are faced with trials and tribulations we may wonder “Where is God.” Charles Tindley wrote “When the Morning Comes.” The words, “Trials dark on ev’ry hand, and we cannot understand all the ways that God would lead us to that blessed Promised Land; But He’ll guide us with His eye, and we’ll follow till we die; We will understand it better by and by.”
Loneliness, heartache, just the pain getting out of bed for so many lead people to face the day with fear and trembling.
David faced the battles of life. David looks back at how God delivered him and gave him victory over his enemies. Our enemy is not people, it is Satan. David did not come to this point in life of praise by sitting passively by waiting for God to work. David committed his life to God. He trusted God would deliver him through the darkest days of life. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
In the darkest days of life we can know God is with us. As Laurie Brendemuehl and Charles Tindley wrote in song, we live in our daily lives the dark valleys of everyday life. We face impossible mountains to climb. We go through the dark valleys. But we know, as Christians, followers of Christ, God is with us.
Psalm 18 is not a shadow of defeat but of victory. Many speak of the mountain top experiences of life. We should celebrate them. But maybe we should allow God to be seen in how He has led us through the valley to get to the top of the mountain.