”To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered. I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet. You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet. You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me. They called for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer. I ground them as fine as dust in the wind. I swept them into the gutter like dirt. You gave me victory over my accusers. You appointed me ruler over nations; people I don’t even know now serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreign nations cringe before me. They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds. The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted! He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he subdues the nations under me and rescues me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents. For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.“
Psalms 18:25-50 NLT
God is not mocked, nor are his servants. Those who would call on the name of the Lord, call on it with sincerity. This could easily be confused with desperation but it is not the same thing. A desperate person must always be sincere. He is often akin to a person drowning who cries out for help and reaches his hand indiscriminately for anything that may save him. David notes that God doesn’t answer these cries. But when desperation leads to clarity and the name of the Lord is brought forward as the only power of salvation, he answers. This is the state of David. His heart is always sincere in his love for God. Even in his sin, he knows that God is the only one who is wronged. David notes and exemplifies the power in this position. God honors those who live a life oriented in sincerity before him. Those who place him as the rock of their salvation can do most anything upon that rock. They can brave any storm and conquer every obstacle. Their hope is ever present and not tossed about by the waves of emotion and circumstance. This is a choice for David. He sees this life as a product of intentionality. It is the obvious choice, but it is the one that requires commitment. Those who commit are beloved, protected and blessed. Those who don’t quickly find out that they don’t measure up in this world, often with terrible results.
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