Today’s post is part of our Psalm Saturdays series from guest blogger Robert Chamberlain. You can contact him by sending a message to  bobjc88 @ gmail.com. You can also find him at his new blog at www.roberlain.blogspot.com .

Psalm 18:1–24 (ESV)
1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
7 Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
20 The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt.
24 So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

Do you love God? If so, why? The Psalmist has plenty of reasons to love God. Firstly, He is his strength. Then He’s his rock, fortress and deliverer. We might think of deliverer as the postman who “delivers” the mail. But Biblically, Deliverer is the one who takes you from spiritual death row to eternal life in glory.

The Psalmist has still more reasons to love God. He is his refuge in each deep distress. He is His shield from all that would assail him. He is the horn of his salvation- the one he’ll loudly trumpet about, about how great He is.

God answers his prayers- He delivers him from all his enemies. He was as good as dead, but God rent the heavens to come down and to save him from all his foes. All that opposes us may well be too strong for us; but it isn’t too strong for God.

This half of the Psalm seems to close rather self congratulatarily if that’s a word! But God does delight in the obedience of His children- when they wholeheartedly love Him and others. It’s good to have integrity. If we don’t, we don’t have to excuse ourselves, or put down those who do.

“Oh Lord our rock, may we rely on You and not on our own righteousness. But please help us to have integrity as we seek and find in You our all in all. For Your honour, amen.”

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