DAVID'S NOT SO SECRET WEAPON
Psalms 18:1-3 NKJV
1 I will love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
If you know the story of David, you know that one of his weapons was his sling. It was the precursor to the modern slingshot, and he used it to defeat the giant, Goliath. But the sling is not the weapon we are talking about today. David's secret weapon was his mouth and how he used his words.
As you read through the book of Psalms, you detect a pattern in how David spoke. We see that most clearly in how David spoke about the Lord. David was very expressive as he described who the Lord was to him.
"I will love You, O Lord, my strength." That is saying a lot. First, David is expressing his love for the Lord, and that is a wonderful thing to do. Always remember that David was a warrior and one of the bravest leaders of Israel. He was not afraid of a fight. Neither was David afraid to express his love for God.
David calls the Lord his strength. He continues by declaring that the Lord is his rock, fortress, and deliverer. These may not seem to be big to us, but David's enemies were not simply posting negative criticism about David. They were trying to kill him. Believing that God is the One who protects you from being killed is believing on a whole different level.
David continues declaring who God is to him—his rock and the One who he will trust. These are more than just nice words. They are inspired words from a man who placed his trust in God and was continually helped by God. David's words about God were what he believed God was to him. His words have a distinct military tone, but David was in fighting mode for years, running from Saul and facing the Philistines.
In verse three, David declares what he will do. He will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised. And in calling upon God, he will be saved from his enemies. These are bold declarations, but they are in the scriptures for a reason. They are inspired words that communicate truths that we can learn from.
APPLICATION
In some areas of the world, believers are still being killed for their faith. We typically are not facing enemies looking to kill us here in America. But we still have spiritual enemies, and we still must adopt a soldier's mentality. Paul wrote to the Ephesian church and told them they were to stand against the devil's strategies. So, spiritually speaking, we are in a military zone. We can take a lesson from David and express who God is to us. Who the Lord is and how He is helping us.
We would be totally in line with Scripture by declaring the Lord to be our Shepherd and Leader. Our Lord and Savior. The One who never leaves or abandons us. The One who is our helper, our strength and our wisdom. We also call upon the Lord, who is so worthy to be praised, and He is saving us from our enemies.
If you think I am copying David, you are absolutely correct. The psalms were written not just to inspire Israel but to inspire us today. Our words declaring who God is to us are just as important to us as they were to David thousands of years ago.
PRAYER
Think for a moment about who the Lord is, then declare it out loud. Lord, you are my ____________. And I will put my trust in You!