The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock!
May God, the rock of my salvation, be exalted!
I will call on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
for he saves me from my enemies
2 Samuel 22:47,4
(Psalm 18:46,3)
In my daily reading I worked my way to 2 Samuel 22. It is near the end of David's life, and couldn't help but notice a certain symmetry.
· David's public life began by battling the Philistines and upending the giant, Goliath.
· As his life was drawing to a close -- chapter 21 -- he was battling Philistines again. And he was battling giants again -- some of Goliath's descendants who were seeking revenge. And he was victorious again.
In victory, he sang a song of praise. And I said to myself, "Hmm, that sounds familiar."
In our church, for example, we sing these words often in worship. There's a familiar chorus by Michael O'Shields, an itinerant music minister in the 70's. According to stories, O'Shields crisscrossed Texas and Oklahoma, calling regularly on the name of the Lord, desperate to make ends meet.
Yes, I knew these words from a song of praise, but aside from a short refrain, the entire prayer, I knew, was familiar. Indeed, 2 Samuel 22 is an echo of the more famous Psalm 18 -- almost word-for-word. But there's one major difference …
Scripture tells us that Psalm 18 was written at the beginning of David's kingship (see the annotation at the beginning of Psalm 18), while 2 Samuel 22 occurs at, literally, the very end.
Beginning and end. What should this tell us? That this is David's "lifesong"! (Or at least one of his lifesongs.)
Even though he was beloved of God and spent much of his life as a powerful king, the course of his life was also haunted by enemies. Saul's pursuit. Giants’ taunts. Foreign invaders. Betrayals and rebellions. Apparently, calling upon the name of the Lord was a regular desperation ... and therefore a regular discipline. And that repeated and practiced dependence upon God -- as a rock and deliverer -- built David's faith daily.
So here’s the question: What is your "lifesong"?
What prayer or praise do you keep coming back to regularly?
Read Psalm 18 (below) and discover the intricacies of trust in the face of fears, thanksgiving for victories, cries for help, confidence in the power of God, etc.
In Christ's Love,
a guy who loves watching choir members:
week-by-week they gain
a greater vocabulary of praise
Psalm 18
1 For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD. He sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. I love you, LORD; you are my strength.2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold.3 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies.4 The ropes of death surrounded me; the floods of destruction swept over me.5 The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death itself stared me in the face.6 But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.7 Then the earth quaked and trembled; the foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger.8Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.9 He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.10 Mounted on a mighty angel, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.11 He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.12 The brilliance of his presence broke through the clouds, raining down hail and burning coals.13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High gave a mighty shout. 14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused.15Then at your command, O LORD, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.17 He delivered me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.18They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest, but the LORD upheld me.19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.20 The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he compensated me because of my innocence.21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.22 For all his laws are constantly before me; I have never abandoned his principles.23 I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.24 The LORD rewarded me for doing right, because of the innocence of my hands in his sight.25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.26 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.27 You rescue those who are humble, but you humiliate the proud.28LORD, you have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness.29 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.30 As for God, his way is perfect. All the LORD's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.31 For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock?32 God arms me with strength; he has made my way safe.33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer, leading me safely along the mountain heights.34 He prepares me for battle; he strengthens me to draw a bow of bronze.35 You have given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand supports me; your gentleness has made me great.36 You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.37 I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered.38 I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet.39 You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.40 You made them turn and run; I have destroyed all who hated me.41 They called for help, but no one came to rescue them. They cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer them.42 I ground them as fine as dust carried by the wind. I swept them into the gutter like dirt.43 You gave me victory over my accusers. You appointed me as the ruler over nations; people I don't even know now serve me.44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreigners cringe before me.45They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds.46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he subdues the nations under me48and rescues me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents.49 For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing joyfully to your name.50 You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.
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