As a mom of young children I'm sometimes susceptible to panic. My first reaction is to call my mom on the phone and ask her what to do with my son's allergy or my daughter's sudden cough.
Mom is a great resource, but when I read the Psalms, I'm reminded of how often we need the kind of help that no mortal can give. In Psalm 18 David was in great danger. Afraid, close to death, and in anguish, he called on the Lord.
David could say, "I love you, Lord" because he understood God was a fortress, a rock, and a deliverer (vv. 1-2). God was his shield, his salvation, and his stronghold. Maybe we cannot understand David's praise because we have not experienced God's help. It may be that we reach for the phone before going to God for advice and help.
Surely God puts people in our lives to give us help and comfort. But let's also remember to pray. God will hear us. As David sang, "From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears" (v. 6). When we go to God, we join David's song and enjoy Him as our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer.
Next time you reach for the phone, remember also to pray.
Psalm 18 seems to be a song of retrospective understanding. In many of David's psalms we find him being pursued and hunted, first by Saul and later by Absalom. During those times of flight and danger, David sometimes questioned God's faithfulness, love, and care--wondering why the Lord didn't intervene on his behalf. In Psalm 18, however, we see a more reflective David. He looked back on his journey and saw continuous evidence of the presence and protection of God along the way (vv. 1-3; 16-19; 25-29; 35-36; 47-50)--even in the seasons of life where that evidence seemed scarce. Now, looking back, David affirmed what he had questioned--the faithfulness of God.
