579-The Song of Victory#
(JP Text Group - shalom 整理)
Peace, dear family, welcome to your arrival. Today is Sunday, and we will look at God's words together.
The topic of the sharing is: The Song of Victory.
Psalm 18:1-3:
1 (A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, which he sang to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.) I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
Let us pray together first.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for starting our new week of life. We also thank you for giving us such a psalm, allowing us to increase our faith through David's psalm, and also to gain wisdom, letting us know that in all things in life, we can learn to rely on you like David. And we believe that when we call upon you, you will listen to our prayers, and through the sharing of your words, we will gain revelation and strength. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
This is the content of Psalm 18, still a psalm of David. Through the title and the preface in parentheses, we can know why David wrote this psalm at that time. It mentions the psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, given to the chief musician. The following explains the background of this psalm.
When the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul, he sang this psalm to the Lord. When did God save him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul? That was when he had already become king. This is recorded in detail in 2 Samuel chapter 22, where David went through many dangers and difficulties.
Now everything has returned to peace. When David looks back at all he has experienced, it is truly shocking. Fortunately, God was with him, and he passed through it all safely. Although many past experiences still frighten him when he recalls them, he overcame all enemies by relying on God, and at that moment, his heart was filled with gratitude towards God. The words he spoke to God were recorded, and this became a psalm.
It mentions singing this psalm to the Lord. David recalls the great grace God has shown him and cannot help but praise, for many of the things David encountered were beyond human ability to save. Many times he was on the brink of life and death, and he was completely powerless to cope. Fortunately, every time he called upon God in prayer, God pulled him back from the brink of death. So although this psalm was written based on David's own experiences, some of the words transcend his personal life.
Some of it also foreshadows David's descendant, Jesus Christ, because we see that Jesus also encountered many dangers during His ministry, but He overcame them all by the power of the Father. Of course, Jesus' power is greater; He overcame various difficulties, diseases, and even death. From David's psalm, we see these prophecies pointing to the Lord Jesus. This reveals that Jesus Christ has overcome all authorities; Jesus Christ is the servant of God and also the anointed one of God.
We look at verse 1: O Lord, my strength, I love you! David recalls his past experiences, remembering the grace God has accomplished in him, the strength given to him, and he is at a loss for words, so he says, "O Lord, my strength, I love you!"
Although he fought many victorious battles, he knew that these were not achieved by his own strength. From his childhood, when he was shepherding in the wilderness, God was his strength. Later, when he defeated Goliath, he also knew that it was not his own strength but the strength given to him by God. Later on, he encountered many great difficulties, and until old age, everything he accomplished was done by relying on God's strength. Therefore, from deep within his heart, he expressed a profound love for God: we love because God first loved us. For David, God's salvation was not just once or twice, but many times. Through these events, David saw that God loved him and gave him so much strength.
We believe that those who trust in the Lord Jesus are the same. Because of the grace that God continually bestows upon us, saving us time and again, our hearts express genuine love towards the God who generously gives us all things, simply because God first loved us. Most people who believe in the Lord do not start by offering everything to the Lord, saying, "Lord, I thank you." It is not like that; they must have had genuine experiences.
For example, in the New Testament, Peter initially had a fishing boat at home and was quite experienced in fishing. He relied on this skill to barely support his family. Later, when Jesus found him and asked him to follow Him to preach, Peter was unwilling at first, perhaps looking down on this young man from the bottom of his heart. Later, when Jesus found him again, Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing. While washing his nets by the lake, Jesus asked to use his boat to preach.
What do we think about this? At that moment, Peter was not very willing, but he still obeyed His words. We can imagine Peter's inner state at that time; he sat beside Jesus while Jesus spoke passionately about the Father's love, God's salvation, and God's grace, etc. Perhaps in Peter's heart, he thought: what good is this?
You know, many people today are unwilling to believe in Jesus because they think, what good is believing in Jesus? Can He solve my life? Can He change my life? In fact, He really can. It is just that these people have not had genuine experiences, so they think it is impossible.
After Jesus finished preaching, He said to Peter, "Now put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." Peter initially refused, but later he obeyed Jesus' words and caught so many fish that two boats were filled. At that moment, Peter witnessed God's great power, so he fell at Jesus' feet and said, "Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man."
All of this was a genuine experience between Peter and God. He finally realized that the words of this God were true, so he said, "Lord, please depart from me, for I am a sinful man." He realized he had underestimated Him! Many people, when they do not believe in Jesus, look down on Jesus and Christians. They think this group of people has no ability, looks unremarkable, and recites the same old things that are of no use, as if society has developed to such a degree, yet they still cling to the old ways.
In fact, the fact that these people have such thoughts shows that they do not know God and have not experienced God. Only when a person truly connects with our Lord will they grow to love this God more and be more willing to rely on Him. Thank the Lord.
Many believers lack love for God, which actually indicates one thing: they have not experienced God's love and do not know how good God is. Perhaps the words of the Bible to them are similar to other encouraging words in the world.
If you are such a person, I encourage you to believe in God's words and try to call upon Him in your life. You must first have this faith in God, and you will see that God's words can exert great power. Because everything David experienced was not in a fantasy; he truly faced real problems in life. How many times he was on the brink of life and death, and in a moment, his life could have been lost, yet God gave him strength to overcome. So he said to God, "O Lord, my strength, I love you!" This sentence contains David's immense gratitude to God.
Looking back at our lives, how many times has God saved us? If you indeed have many such experiences, you will understand why David said such words. It is not pretentious, nor is it a slogan; it is based on genuine experiences. Amen.
Verse 2: The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Why are there so many names? This reflects David's experiences with God. The Lord is my rock, rock, fortress, stronghold, shield—these all signify that God has saved David, helped David, and bestowed grace upon David. David has a close relationship with the God he serves, and such titles are based on experiences.
For example, when David says the Lord is my fortress, what does a fortress do? It provides protection, supplies, and a place of rest. Why does David describe God this way? Because during his days of fleeing, when enemies were pursuing him, he had no home and nowhere to go, so when David relied on God, God became his fortress.
Think about it: if you are being pursued by enemies, and they are using all their power to hunt you down, even if you have a place to sleep at night, can you find peace in your heart? What if you fall asleep and someone finds you? This kind of panic is unbearable for a person; it can be tolerated for a day or two, but who can endure it for years? So before David went to sleep each time, he must have prayed, "Lord, let me sleep soundly and wake up safely, and do not let the enemies find me." Later, he finally understood that God was his fortress. Thank the Lord.
He is my deliverer, my God. We do not believe in a religion; He is truly our deliverer. A deliverer is someone who can save us from all kinds of troubles. Is Jesus the deliverer? Yes, because Jesus' name means He will save His people from their sins. We have fallen into sin and danger, and it is difficult for us to save ourselves. What should we do? We need external help to save us. And Jesus is your deliverer; He has the power and is willing to save you. So what we need to do is believe in His salvation and be willing to be saved by Him. Amen. David's relationship with God is thus connected.
Every time he encountered a problem in life, he called upon God, and God saved him from various evils time and again, so he said, "The Lord is my deliverer, my God." Thank the Lord, this indicates that there is a personal relationship between God and David.
I also hope that dear family members can establish such a stable personal relationship, a vertical relationship with God. It is not that you can only establish a relationship with God when you come to church; He is your God in your home, in any place, and in all matters, He is your strength and help. Thank the Lord.
I hope that family members can establish such a relationship with God. If you truly understand that He is your God, your deliverer, you will believe in Him and rely on Him in all things. Amen. When you believe and rely on Him like this, you will have countless beautiful testimonies.
David says the Lord is his rock, and a rock represents stability and immovability. You know that the promises people make to us in the world can change. Even if we have some good things now, if one day something unexpected happens, what we relied on in the past may no longer exist.
But the Lord is David's rock, and this God never wavers, which fills David's heart with confidence in God. Because the world changes every day, people's hearts change, things change, and we are anxious about the future. But God does not change; because of His unchanging nature, we can confidently rely on Him.
Why should we believe in the words of the Bible? Because God's words do not change; He can give this grace to Abraham, to David, and He can give it to you. This is the faith that God's unchanging nature brings us. And the so-called rock means that once it is established, it will not be shaken again. Hallelujah.
You know there are so many promises in the Bible. If you hold onto some of those promises and keep them in your heart, then God can fulfill those promises in you. Why? Because He is your rock, the rock that never wavers. You must firmly root your focus and the foundation of your faith on this rock. If you leave God's words, do not believe too much in what others say, because apart from the Lord being the rock, there is nothing else. What others say is basically built on sand, which is unstable.
It cannot be said that that person is deliberately deceiving you; there are many things they cannot control. For example, in the past, your friend made you a great promise, but one day when you really needed to find them, they could not help you, and you felt very disappointed. In fact, you really do not need to be disappointed; it is already good that a person can make you a promise. They cannot help you because your matter may exceed their ability. Human ability is limited, but this problem does not exist with the Lord. No matter what you encounter, when you call upon our God, He has the power, ability, and willingness to help you. David had such experiences, so he could believe in God so firmly.
He said, "The Lord is my refuge. He is my shield." Thank the Lord, no matter how many schemes the enemies have, no matter how many attacks come from the enemies, God became David's shield. Thank the Lord. Have you ever thought, if you have such a Lord with you on earth, what do you have to worry about? When David was fleeing from Saul's pursuit, he often ran into caves to hide, and God kept him safe. In that cave, Saul could not find him, so David could sleep soundly there; God kept him safe from danger.
Likewise, God also became his refuge, keeping him safe from all evil. The power of our God is not only able to save him from various evils but also to lift him up. So later David said, "You are the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." This means that God can not only save you from various problems.
Many people believe in Jesus with the idea that they will rely on this God when they encounter difficulties in life. This idea itself is not wrong; knowing to rely on our God and call upon our God when encountering difficulties is good. But there is another point: if you can honor the Lord in all things, believing in our God, God can not only save you from evil and problems but also lift you up. Because He is your stronghold.
David started as a shepherd, but besides saving him time and again, God ultimately placed him on the throne of Israel. So now that David has become king, he looks back at everything he has experienced in his life and feels deeply moved. He thinks: who am I, someone who was not even welcomed at home, yet God has treated me so graciously, allowing me to become the king of Israel.
I do not know if you, the listeners, have similar experiences? Whether you have been wronged or unappreciated at home; or if you are not perfect at work, always encountering various problems and often experiencing failures, you may feel that your life is a failure. If you think this way, start relying on our God. The miracles that David experienced, God can give you too.
It cannot be denied that the difficulties faced by all listeners are absolutely not greater than those faced by David. Since God can save David, He can also save you; God can save David from all kinds of troubles, and He can save you in the same way; God can lift David up, and He can lift you up too. But you need to ask God for faith and wisdom. Amen.
How does faith come? It comes through His words, so reading the Bible is one of the ways we gain faith. Listening to sermons is also a way. How does wisdom come? It also comes from continually reading God's words. We need to see how these people who continually rely on God ultimately gain victory and are lifted up by God. Through the experiences of these people, we see that the God behind them has never changed; He has always been willing to show grace to people. Amen.
All who believe in Jesus are hidden in Him. You must know that the world is filled with insecurity, and there are all kinds of evils everywhere. Do not think that you have made it to today because you are lucky; in fact, there is no such thing as luck; it is all God's protection.
Think carefully about how many dangers you have encountered in the past; you just did not know that God saved you. If there had been a mistake in the middle, our lives might have ended long ago. I do not know if you are in such a situation; at least I am. Sometimes when I look back at some experiences from my childhood to now, some experiences are truly frightening. Because if there had been one mistake in the middle, my life might have been lost long ago. And if it were not for the appearance of a kind-hearted person, I might have encountered serious problems today.
But everything has been so timely, allowing me to pass through until today. I know that is God's salvation because God hides us in Him; He is willing to help us and give us strength. Because He is also our solid rock, our fortress, and our deliverer. In this world, we truly do not know how the road ahead will be, but you really do not need to worry because God is with you. You only need to call upon Him in all things and let Him help you; that is enough. Amen.
Verse 3 says: I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
This is David's reflection on his faith in God. David also realized his past; although he encountered many dangers, every time he called upon God and praised God, God saved him from his enemies. Some may have a question: "We are already children of God, loved by God. If we encounter danger and do not pray, will God not save us?" Here, I will explain the principle of how God works.
God first places life and death, blessings and curses in the Bible. People have the right to choose freely. If a person is willing to believe in God's words and choose life, then naturally they will avoid calamity. This situation is, of course, the best. For example, Jesus achieved this; although He encountered danger, that danger could not harm Him at all.
What is the other situation? Apart from Jesus, we often exercise another part of free will, which is that people always think they are smarter than God, putting God's words aside and making their own choices. Choosing what they think is right and good often leads them into traps.
Then we will find a problem: what to do if we fall into a trap? Call upon God, and God will start to save you. This is the principle of how God works. He does not force you to follow Him, to report everything to Him, or to act according to His words in everything. God is not a God who must make you do things; He gives you freedom.
Let us use the initial example of Adam and Eve. God created the world and placed all the beautiful things in it, then said to Adam, "You may freely eat of the fruit of every tree in the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die." This gave Adam the opportunity for free choice. He did not create a robot or a puppet with no thoughts.
Adam had to have at least two options to choose from: one was the fruit of every tree in the garden; the other was the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Everything else could be eaten, but this one could not. This was Adam's choice. Unfortunately, Adam chose to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil according to his own preferences. The danger came, and because he did this, the consequences were severe, and death came.
For us, death is terrifying, something we cannot overcome. But initially, there were none of these things; it was only because Adam made the wrong choice that this result occurred. If at that time, when Adam was eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he could have prayed to God, asking, "Can I eat this? What will happen if I eat it?" If he had asked God, God would have certainly answered him, "Do not eat; you will die." Our God would not say, "I told you not to ask me again." There is no such statement.
This is why we need to pray to God when we encounter things. When you pray to God, He will give you revelation; perhaps some things will be prevented. But if you do not pray to God and choose what you think is right, God cannot interfere with your freedom. Amen. We must remember this.
Many people say, "But I have already believed in the Lord; isn't everything in God's hands? He knows what is good and what is bad. Can He not stop me when I do something wrong?" This is not the principle. The principle of how God works is to let you willingly believe in His words and act according to His words to be blessed. This is what God hopes for us to do, but people are not necessarily willing to act this way. Do you understand what I am saying? When you encounter things, you must call upon God. When you call upon God, He will give you new revelations and guidance. If you do not call upon God, He will not immediately appear to stop you; this is our own choice.
When Adam chose to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the world changed completely because of him. He not only brought himself into death but also brought all his descendants into death. Fortunately, even so, God's salvation is still present. We think things have gone terribly wrong, but God still has a way.
Just like David, although he encountered many difficulties and dangers, every time he called upon God, it seemed as if God could save him from what he thought was a desperate situation. If people do not know this God, what will they do when they encounter a desperate situation? They can only lament. We are different; we can call upon God.
So prayer is actually one of the greatest privileges of believers. We always have someone to call upon, and He has the power and willingness to help us. Amen. Calling upon God in all things is our own choice.
I will not force you to pray about everything; this is something that must be done as a Christian! That is useless. Only when one day you realize from your heart: God loves me so much, and His perspective is far better than mine, will you be willing to consult Him in all things, seeking answers from Him. What He gives you will definitely be the best. When you have such thoughts and pray to God, He will surely reveal it to you. Because He loves you. Amen.
David not only calls upon God every time, but he also praises God. Even when the current problem is not immediately resolved, David's characteristic is that he still praises God. Why? Because if one only looks at the dangers and circumstances faced at the moment, one will be discouraged, disheartened, and fearful. But when he praises God, it is from the heart that he believes God's salvation has already come, and God will surely save him from his enemies; it is just a matter of time. Amen.
If a person believes in God like this, even if the environment still exists, that environment can no longer control him. This is part of what God hopes we can understand. But David indeed did this, so he said, "I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies."
This is not a cause-and-effect relationship; it is not that when we praise God, God saves us from our enemies. When David praised God, he already believed in his heart that God would surely save him from his enemies; he was just waiting to see when that result would come. The current environment could no longer affect him. Amen. So even sleeping in a cave, he could sleep soundly because he knew God would keep him safe.
Many believers have a problem: when they encounter problems, they pray to God, but after praying, they are still anxious and unable to sleep. This actually indicates that they have not fully believed that God has heard their cries and has already accomplished it. They see the results before they find rest. But David was not like this; David told God and then began to praise God because he believed from his heart that God had heard him, so he had joy in his heart and was no longer limited by the situation. Amen.
Look at Psalm 18:4-6:
4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of ungodliness terrified me. 5 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress, I called upon the Lord; I cried to my God. He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry for help came before Him, into His ears.
This is David's real experience. There were once cords of death, cords of Sheol, snares of death, and torrents of ungodliness. Think about it; which of these words can we bear at present? It is truly walking on the edge of death, and the enemies are mercilessly attacking him. In such a situation, what should one do? Most people cannot bear it.
Especially in these last days, many people do not want to live just because someone said a few harsh words; they are overwhelmed by this and that. If they encountered what David faced, they would have long since taken their own lives. But when David encountered these things, he said, "In my distress, I called upon the Lord." Calling upon the Lord in distress is a sign of faith in God and also a kind of wisdom.
Many people in distress just sigh and feel hopeless; that is not the way. We need to learn to call upon the Lord in distress, shifting our focus from the problem to God, and believe that He has the ability. When I call upon Him, He hears me, and He can save me. So David said, "I cried to my God."
Here he later mentions, "He heard my voice from His temple." What temple? The temple in heaven, the holy temple. Because in that era, the temple was God's dwelling place on earth.
When we call upon Him, what should we think? It is that God has heard my cry. We must believe that you are not speaking to the air; the Holy Spirit can hear you, and your words can reach God's throne across time and space. Because now we are children of God, our prayers have no barriers and can directly reach the ears of the Father. Amen.
Our Heavenly Father will fulfill our cries because of Jesus. When He will fulfill them and in what way is determined by God. Many times, God does not necessarily fulfill them in the way we expect; perhaps God's way is better, and there are no side effects. God saved David in this way, and David truly believed that his cry had entered God's ears.
Can you believe this? You know, many people are quite strange. After praying, they ask, "God, did you hear me?" I can responsibly tell everyone that God's ears are not deaf; even if you pray silently in your heart, He can hear you. But you must believe this. Amen.
Faith is an experience between us and God. Now that you have told God your matters, you must be sure that He has heard and is solving your problem in the best way. God is working with His greatest grace to accomplish it in you. What should we do? Expect this beautiful fruit; do what you need to do, sleep when you need to sleep, eat when you need to eat, go to work when you need to go to work, and do whatever you need to do. Amen. Do not let the current matter affect you any longer.
If you say, "I prayed, but I still feel worried and afraid. What should I do?" Continue to pray until you have fully entrusted it, and your heart is no longer under the control of this matter. That is when you have completely given it up. Do you believe that God is willing to save you and bestow grace upon you? On what basis do you believe this? Let us look at what David had faith in at that time.
Psalm 18:20-22:
20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands, He has recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all His ordinances were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me.
David lived under the law, and under the law, God has requirements for His people, which is to follow all of God's laws and statutes. Whether you can do it is one thing; whether you are willing to do it in your heart is what God looks at. Many people say, "I cannot do it," so they simply do not do it. That is certainly not pleasing to God. Some people think, "I may not be able to do it, but I am willing to do my best to do it." God is pleased with such people. It is clear that David was someone who was willing to follow God's words.
Verse 20 says: The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness.
What righteousness does a person have? The righteousness David speaks of here is merely his acknowledgment that God is righteous and his willingness to live according to God's righteousness. God sees his heart clearly and treats David with grace because of it.
According to the cleanness of my hands, when encountering distress and danger, David cried out to God, saying, "Lord, you know my heart; I have not plotted evil against him, nor have I had a rebellious heart. But he is not at ease; he always wants to put me to death." God knows such matters.
So dear family, when you are wronged in the world, when the enemy unjustly traps you, attacks you, and slanders you, you can pray like David, saying, "Lord, please repay me according to your righteousness and reward me according to the cleanness of my hands. You know the enemy is unjustly trapping me; I entrust this matter to you; you come and vindicate me." This is David's prayer to God.
Verse 21: For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
Thank the Lord. You know that Saul pursued David entirely out of jealousy, and in such matters, David really did nothing wrong. David did not have a rebellious heart, and God certainly knows that. When David called upon God like this, he received faith from God, saying, "I know you are a fair and just God, and you also know that I have not wickedly departed from you." David's faith in God made him certain: my heart truly desires to follow God's laws and statutes.
In verse 22, he also gives an example: All His ordinances were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me.
Of course, no one can fully obey God's laws and statutes, but if a person has a heart willing to obey, that is enough for God. You will strive and move towards this goal throughout your life. This is what David wanted to express; David loved God's laws and statutes and believed that God would surely save me from all kinds of troubles and would vindicate me.
Let us look at a passage from Galatians 3:26-29:
26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
We think David was very blessed; look how graciously God treated him, saving him time and again and even placing him on the throne of Israel. How blessed he is! Do not envy him; you are more blessed than David. Because of your faith in Jesus Christ, you have also become a child of God, and you are now in Christ and have put on Christ.
What does it mean to put on Christ? It means you are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and God sees you through Christ. In other words, as much as God loves Jesus, He loves you just as much. Because of everything Jesus accomplished in the redemptive work on the cross, He is the apple of God's eye, the one God loves most. Today, God loves you in this way. Amen.
If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. In other words, God is willing to give you all the best. So what should we do now? We need to learn to rely on Him in all things like David. Since you know God is willing to bless you, you should call upon Him in all matters in your life and truly believe that He will give you the best because of Christ. Amen.
Returning to the text, Psalm 18:31-33:
31 For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.
This is a rhetorical question: Who is God, except the Lord? It is clear that after going through so much in life, David discovered, "There is no God except the Lord; there is no rock except our God." No matter how well people promise you, it is useless; they will change when their own interests are at stake.
Saul pursued David, and he ran to the Philistine king Achish. At first, Achish treated him well and entrusted him with responsibilities, and David did not hesitate in his work. But later, others thought: after all, David is a Hebrew, not one of us; his heart will not always be with us. Later, Achish asked David to leave.
This is how the world is; there is no permanent friendship. Even if they initially make you great promises, when their own interests are at stake, they will immediately abandon you. So David said, "Except for our God, who is the rock? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." After experiencing the ups and downs of human relationships, David finally realized that apart from God, no one can be relied upon, and God is unchanging.
He makes my feet like the feet of deer and sets me on my high places. You know that deer run very fast, but they are also fast and stable. What David wants to tell us is that when we rely on our God in all things, you not only walk fast but also walk steadily. These two points are difficult for people to achieve; those who walk fast may not walk steadily, and those who walk steadily may not walk fast. When you rely on our God, you find the best helper, the best Lord who gives you strength. Do not seek anything else outside of Christ; what God gives you is already the best.
Psalm 18:49-50:
49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. 50 Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.
At the end of Psalm 18, David once again expresses gratitude and praise to God, saying, "Therefore I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to your name." Thank the Lord, this indicates that David has truly experienced God's grace many times, and he does not know how to repay God, so he can only say, "I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. The Lord brings great salvation to his king." That refers to himself.
David continually praises God, saying, "You have given me great salvation, allowing me to become the king of Israel and giving me so much grace." Showing steadfast love to his anointed has a double meaning; on one hand, it refers to him being anointed by God, and on the other hand, it refers to Jesus Christ being God's anointed one, showing great salvation to David and his offspring forever.
Jesus Christ is a descendant of David, and we are also considered descendants of David. This means God is also willing to grant great salvation to you; He is willing to be with you in all things in your life, walking with you and helping you. Are you willing to call upon Him in all things and call upon His name?
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for giving us this wonderful time to review David's song of victory. Throughout his life, God saved him countless times. We also believe that you are willing to save me, and you are willing to bestow grace upon me. I am willing to experience your beautiful grace many times in my life.
A new week has begun, and I believe the Holy Spirit is with me this week. No matter where I go or what I encounter, I believe your strength will become my strength. You are also my shield and my stronghold. I look forward to having beautiful testimonies in my life this week. All glory will be given to our Father in heaven. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.