The Lord's Delight
READ: Psalm 18: 16-19
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Bad things come in three’s.” There’s no basis for such a claim; in fact, it’s simply superstition. But you’d probably agree that there do seem to be days or stretches of time in life when a string of bad stuff seems to happen back-to-back. The car and your Ipod both break down on the same day. You get bad grades in more than one class on your report card. You don’t make the team and your boyfriend dumps you.
Sometimes it may all seem like too much. David had a time like that in his life. At the beginning of this Psalm, the NIV Bible notes that David wrote this Psalm after the LORD had delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from King Saul. The hardships David endured as recorded in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel may be what David was considering when he wrote in Psalm 18:18, “They confronted me in the day of my disaster.” Perhaps he was referring to the stretch of days when King Saul was pursuing him, the Philistines (amongst whom David was living) didn’t want David with them, the Amalekites destroyed the town in which David and his men were living and carried off all their wives and children, and then Saul and his son Jonathan were killed in battle (see 1 Samuel 29-31 and 2 Samuel 1). While things were going bad on one front, another front was being attacked at the same time. Whatever David was referring to, he was facing many hardships.
But take a look at verse 19. “…[the LORD] rescued me because he delighted in me.” God, in his great love, came to David’s aid because he delighted in David. God loves you that much, too! He delights in you through faith in his Son Jesus, whose righteousness is ours. When life is getting to be too much, when your relationships need mending, when you’re said or hurting, when whatever you’re facing seems too overwhelming and too strong for you, turn to Jesus, who delights in you. He will be your refuge. He will strengthen you. He will deliver you.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: How has God delivered you from trouble in the past? What trouble has God ultimately delivered you from through his Son, Jesus?
THINGS TO PRAY ABOUT: Ask God to strengthen you when temptation and hardship enters your life. Thank God for walking with us every day and for placing his Spirit in us through faith. Pray for friends, family, or neighbors that are enduring hardships or illness.