Victorious, Strong, and Free!

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.

~Psalm 18:30

David wrote the 18th Psalm when he had been rescued from those who would take him down. This man had just come through some profound difficulties during which he had to trust the promised plan of Jehovah. David knew he was under the promise of God’s protection, and he was compelled to celebrate the goodness of God’s faithfulness.

As for God, he begins. This is the word el, the general word for God. But this is not just any god of human imagination, this is the God who gives grace to the humble and resists the proud (v27); this is the God who shines light into the darkness (v28); this is the God whose strength is made perfect in our weakness (v29), this God!

This God is worthy of trust and adoration for three reasons: 1) His way is perfect; His plan is complete and trustworthy all the time; it is a plan of unimpaired integrity. 2) The word of the LORD proves true. The word translated “proves true” is used for smelting – delivering metallic genuineness through fire. What God says is what He will do. His word stands. He unfailingly delivers on His promises because He is unfailingly good. 3) He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. To those who retreat to the promises of God, and for whom Jehovah is the place of confidence and hope, He is a sure defense and place of quietness. I like how W.A. VanGemeren puts it in light of the rest of the Psalm, “[He] gets involved in the lives of his children with the result that they are victorious, strong, and free.”*

We will know and celebrate our God this way when we retreat to and trust His promised plan. Let’s be honest – this is a daily test for us. We are so tempted to put our trust in other sources that compete for our allegiance and affection. Often – if we insist enough – God will give us over to our stubborn hearts to follow our own counsels (Ps. 81:12). If we choose to trust another to the point that we marginalize our Creator/Redeemer, He will let us – for a time. Then at some point we realize how much we need Him, how little we have apart from Him, and retreat to His good purpose and faithful plan. Only when we take shelter in Him are we victorious, strong, and free!

* The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Frank E. Gaebelein, Ed.), Vol. 5, p.175

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