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23 Feb 2009 04:05 AM An Odyssey in the Psalms: Psalm 18 ConclusionLast week, we saw how effective is the righteous’ prayer, during times of adversity. Through David’s experience, God reveals to us that He is ready to rescue His children when the enemy breaks in their lives. So that they might keep savouring the peace promised to those who trust God and His Sovereignty, the Lord’s redeemed must build a deep and stable relationship with their redeemer. Putting aside their life for God is no option. It’s an inevitable prerequisite. Here is the testimoy of a man who did not hesitate to offer on the altar his entire life, so as to please his God. He reaped abundant fruits of grace and mercy.“The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me; For I have kept the ways of the Lord (I remained faithful), and have not wickedly departed from my God (I do no forsake my God to yield to evil). His rules were before me, his statutes I did not put away from me (I do neglect none of His precepts). I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt (I kept myself from sin). So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight (The Lord rewarded me for acting with righteousness, and for keeping my hands clean). With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you show yourself pure;and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.” What a man sows, that shall he reap! We will always have to face the consequences of our choices: either acting according to God’s heart, or acting according to the foolishness of our understanding, compelled by our old nature! To live a life of promised abundancy will always depend on our choices, and on our consecration to He who saved us. Those who believe one can live the best of both by making a multitude of compromises will never taste that promised perfect peace in every circumstance. They will always fear to loose what they acquired, hardworking on this earth. Though, what God has in stores for the redeemed outweighs the value of this world’s riches. By living an intimate relationship with Him, He assures us victory, healing, deliverance. He assures us that the enemy’s bondages on our lives will break; those who oppressed us will run. He will take us out of our dungeons of guilt, and will reveal to us the riches of His word. He will manifest in our lives His mercy and Grace, everyday of our life. He will become the shadow of our right hand, ever accessible. This is what David shares with us in these passages: The manifesting of his God in his everyday life, and the blessings attached. Notice where David uses the word “You”, and the consequences of giving all the place to God. David was giving God the liberty to act in his life, to model him according to His will. He gave Him the possibility to intervene in difficult circumstances, as in calm moments. “For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God--his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?-- The God who equipped me with strength (and boldness) and made my way blameless.He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation (Your deliverance is my shield), and your right hand supported me, I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me (You make them bow, they are at my feet). You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed.They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them. I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets. You delivered me from strife with the people (in front of people in rebellion, You make me triumph) ; you made me the head of the nations;people whom I h ad not known served me. As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me. Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses. The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—” The God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, who delivered me from my enemies;yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence. For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name. Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever. In this part of this psalm, we have found the description of a wonderful complicity between David and his God. We see put into practice the verse Jesus mentioned hundreds of years later: “Without me, ye can do nothing” David had understood that and would give his God a total liberty of act in his life. Will we follow his example? Will we be audacious enough to let our God lead us? Prayer : “Lord of armies, how wonderful is your name! How great Your faithfulness! Yes, Lord of my life, I want to give you every space in my existence. Do your will, for it is precious to me!” May the God of our salvation be exalted in our lives this week! Jacques Brouillard
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