“I will love thee, 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 buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies” (KJV, Ps. 18:1-3).
“I will love thee”
Father, I thank You for Your love which You have set upon me. I am unworthy to be loved by You, but Your grace abounds nonetheless. Forgive me for my sin this day. Cleanse me with the blood of Christ. I did not love You first, but instead, Your Word tells me that I love You because You first loved me. I am honored to have Your attention, and I pray that You will teach me to love You more. Would You work in me today to will and to work for Your good pleasure? Show me what it means to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
“O Lord”
You are the Sovereign Creator and Ruler of the universe. You are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons in one God. Jesus, You came and died for my sin and have ascended into glory to sit at the right hand of Your Father. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to You because of Your humble submission to Your Father’s will. Holy Spirit, You have authored the Bible and are responsible for illuminating my mind and heart so I can understand Your Word.
“my strength”
God, You are my strength. I have no strength apart from You. Even young men will grow weary, but I will renew my strength when I wait upon You. I will mount up on the wings of eagles. You have told me to be patient and that one of the necessary components of deriving strength from You is learning to wait upon You. Help me to look at my weaknesses as opportunities to show Yourself as the Almighty God.
“The Lord is my rock”
You have used many things within Your Creation to illustrate Who You are. Here I see that You are a Rock. You have provided both stability and security for me. I see in the Psalms that You are often called a Rock. I know that when I set my feet upon You, I will have a firm foundation for my life.
“and my fortress”
You are not only a rock, but You are also a fortress. Much like You are my rock, You are also a fortress for me and a high place of safety. I find that the enemy seeks to kill me, steal from me, and destroy me. However, You have told me that I can run to You and find help in my time of need. You told the Israelites they need not fear because You hold their right hand. You are a fortress for me and ever-present help in my time of need.
“and my deliverer”
You are not simply a place for me to hide, but You are also the One Who fights for me. When David wrote these words, he primarily had people in mind who were attacking him and seeking his downfall. But I am encouraged by the fact that Your Word is timeless and that I can see You as a deliverer from sin, the flesh, and the devil in the words of David. Job knew that His Redeemer lived and that He would set His feet upon the earth one day. Thank You for sending Your Son to deliver me from bondage.
“my God”
You are a faithful God and have shown Your faithfulness through the ages. You promised Abraham that he would be a blessing to the nations. You swore by Yourself because there was no one greater than You. You walked through the slain animals to attest to Your promise. You guided the Israelites throughout history to bring about the promised Messiah. You are deserving of much praise.
“my strength”
Yet again, David looked to You as his source of strength. May I never fall into the trap of self-trust and self-confidence. While the world esteems self-confidence, pride, and the like, You tell me that I am made strong out of weakness. You have told me that I can do nothing apart from the help of my Savior.
“in whom I will trust”
It is to You that I look this day. May my eyes never fall from Your sight. May my gaze always be set heavenward. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of my faith, and thus I pray that Jesus will increase my faith today. I find that my faith needs to be strengthened as my faith often fails me. Nevertheless, though my heart grows faint, You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Even when I fail You, I know that I have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
“my buckler”
You are my shield, Father. May I never forget this fact? Jesus, You have promised to protect me as I am one of Your sheep, and You are my Good Shepherd. May I hide under the shadow of Your wing? May I abide in the Vine, and would You secure me like a Vine does a branch? Would You pray for me as You did for Peter that my faith will not fail me on the day of testing?
“and the horn of my salvation”
Yet again, I see that David was concerned with You as His source of strength. I see that David sought to be equipped for the battle but never trusted Himself for victory. When the people of Israel marched around Jericho, they shouted and blew their trumpets. As they did, the walls of Jericho came crashing down. So may You subdue my enemies today. You are the horn of salvation.
“and my high tower”
You are also my high tower. I can run to You and be out of reach from the enemy. You have told me about the armor of God. However, let me never forget that I am not simply to put on armor and try to fight each battle on my own. I am also to turn to You and find safety in Your care.
“I will call upon the Lord”
As a result of Who You are, I will call upon Your name. I will seek Your face and be found near You until You call me home. You alone are God, and there are no others. You alone reign supreme. When the Egyptians believed that they had many gods in the land, You executed judgment on their so-called gods by showcasing Your power in various ways. You and the Lord of all the earth, and I pray that You would arise for my cause.
“who is worthy to be praised”
You alone are worthy to be praised. You are absolutely holy, pure, innocent, undefiled, and righteous. I am only righteous because I am found in Christ, and His righteousness has been granted to me. I am only holy because of the merits of your Son. I am clean because my Great High Priest has sanctified me with His blood. You are worthy to be praised, worshipped, and adored. You have given Your Son as the hope of salvation. You made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for me so that I might be right before You. Therefore, praise is due to Your name.
“so shall I be saved from mine enemies”
It is only through You that I will be saved from my enemies. Only through You will I escape the wiles of the devil. It is by You alone that I will be delivered from the sin that so easily besets me. By Your mighty hand and outstretched arm, I will find salvation from the world and the sinful flesh. You have delivered me, and I have set my hope on You that You will deliver me again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.