You, O Lord, Are My Rock

“For by You, O Lord, I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God” Psalm 18:29-31 (NKJV)

The following is an excerpt from my book, Praises, Promises, and Provisions— Lessons Learned from the Pen of the Psalmist.

The battle of life is violently raging around me. It is relentless in its intentional pursuit. Day and night, the frightful and haunting sounds from the battlefield creep in to overwhelm my heart, mind, and soul. They give me no rest. Various enemies, clad with their weapons of warfare, seem to be coming at me from every imaginable angle. From without and within, and often with little warning, they seek to disable, discourage, and even destroy.

Who are these enemies that are coming after me?

• The enemy of sin and evil — my own sin and the sins of others around me
• The enemy of temptation — the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all
• The enemy of persecution — bullying people that go straight for the spirit within
• The enemy of harsh criticism — words that cut like a sharp knife, leaving wounds that are slow to heal
• The enemy of defeat and discouragement — seeking its best to disarm me
• The enemy of broken relationships — the hardship of saying good-bye
• The enemy of death — walking through the valley of the shadow of death with a beloved friend
• The enemy of failing health — so many doctor visits and tests to do
• The enemy of financial struggle — too little money and too many bills
• The enemy of time — so much to do and so little time to do it all
• The enemy of to-do-lists — lists that keep on growing while seemingly little gets done
• The enemy of perfectionism — What? Am I the only one?
• The enemy of _____________________ — you add your own enemy that you battle.

All too often, in the midst of this raging battle, it seems as though I am just waiting to hit that proverbial wall with an almighty, hard-hitting thud.

But God!

I love what the psalmist David says about his enemy pursuing him and the proverbial wall that he encountered. “For by you, O Lord, I can run against the troop (the enemy), by my God I can leap over the wall” (Psalm 18:29). I love the picture that comes to my mind when I read those words.

This psalm was written on the day that David was delivered from his number-one enemy, King Saul. The king relentlessly pursued David, with just one intention— to kill him. Saul’s jealousy was the driving force behind his evil intent to destroy David. And with an unrelenting jealous rage, Saul put everything else in his kingdom life on hold just so he could go after David. That is what the enemy does!

David describes his enemy. “My strong enemy … those who hated me. For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity” (Psalm 18:17-18).

David’s enemy was very real. David had come face-to-face with his enemy, and the battle between them ensued. David had to run for his very life. And he kept on running. He had to do everything possible to escape from the evil king who sought after him. David spent time hiding out in caves, hoping not to be found by the king and his men. So many times, David faced that proverbial wall, hoping he would not go splat against it. David did what he knew he had to do in order to keep himself safe.

What David found in the midst of his battle with King Saul, greatly encourages me in the midst of my own battles of life. “But the Lord was my support” (Psalm 18:18b).

I love those words of David. I so often have echoed them from my own lips to the listening ears of God. “In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from the temple and my cry came before Him, even to His ears” (Psalm 18:6).

Ah, how good it is to know that we are never alone in the midst of our battles. We all can cry out to God from the battlefield. He will hear us. David cried out to God in the midst of his distress. And David found that God was right there with him. God was not sitting on the sidelines, cheering him on. God was present on the battlefield, right there with David, making known to him the way that he should go. God gave David all the resources he needed to face the enemy troops. God never once allowed David to go splat against the wall that was put up in front of, behind, and all around him. God enabled David to leap over that wall. God strengthened David for the battle of his life.

Here is what God did for David:

• He delivered me from my strong enemy (Psalm 18:17).
• He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me (Psalm 18:19).
• The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness (Psalm 18:20).
• It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect (Psalm 18:32).
• You have also given me the shield of Your salvation. Your right hand has held me up. Your gentleness has made me great (Psalm 18:35).
• You enlarged my path under me, so my feet do not slip (Psalm 18:36).
• You armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me (Psalm 18:39).
• You have also given me the necks of my enemies, so that I destroyed those who hated me (Psalm 18:40).

Wow! God did all that for David! Imagine what God can do for you and for me on the battlefield in the midst of our own battles of life.

God promises to be with us. He will be present in the midst of our battles. He will be our support. He will give us strength. He will bring us to the place of victory. He will be our solid rock!

How do we get that kind of help from God?

It starts with us acknowledging that God is present with us, and knowing who He is (Psalm 18:1-3). It starts with seeing our enemies and naming them (Psalm 18:4-5). It starts with a cry (Psalm 18:6). It starts with us acknowledging our need for God.

We need His help. Cry out to Him. Call on His name. Invite Him to the battlefield. Let Him gird you with His strength. Take on His helmet of salvation, adorn the garments of praise in the midst of battle. Watch God fight for you, as He holds you tight with His mighty right hand. He will strike down each and every enemy. He will be the one who destroys them all. He will bring victory over all evil within and without. He will not cause your feet to slip or to stumble; rather, He will lift you up to high places, where you will stand strong. You will stand undefeated. The Lord, your God, will support you!

It is no wonder that in that moment after the battle was won, David wanted nothing more than to stand in the presence of his God and sing his victory song aloud.

“I will love You, O Lord, my strength. 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. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies … The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted” (Psalm 18:1-4 and 46).

Whenever the Lord God has proven to you that He is your Rock upon which you can stand, you need to stand!

Whenever the Lord God has rescued and delivered you from the hands of any enemy that you face, you need to stand upon that Rock!

Whenever you stand upon your Rock, you need to look to the heavens and begin your own praise song the Lord God who delivered you!