Psalm 18:28-39 NKJV 28 For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
31 For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
34 He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36 You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.
37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
38 I have wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
David continues his song of praise to the LORD, who had delivered him from all his enemies. But, as usual, David isn’t simply retelling what the Lord has done for him. He’s telling us who the Lord is and teaching us what the Lord’s people can always expect from Him.
The Lord provides light for His people. Whether it’s the darkness of our sin, or the darkness of our ignorance, or the darkness and gloom caused by the evil all around us, the Lord “lights my lamp.” He gives us His Word. He gives us His Spirit. He reveals Christ to us, and with Him, the forgiveness of sins, comfort, peace, and hope, so that we can walk securely on the path to heaven.
The Lord gives us strength to confront and defeat any enemy. David was promised victory over Saul, and the Lord kept His promise. We have been promised victory over sin and death, the devil and the world. No matter how threatening our enemies may appear, they are no match for the Lord and the help He provides. His word is dependable. His protection is perfect. “He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”
No one else is capable of helping us in these ways. The LORD alone is God. The LORD alone is our rock. If we think we’ll find strength within ourselves to deliver ourselves, we’re mistaken. But when we trust in God for deliverance, then we are able to face any enemy or any obstacle.
God even gives us a shield to hold that will repel any attack. He gives us the shield of His salvation. If our salvation is secure, through faith in Christ Jesus, if the Lord fights for us and has promised to deliver us, then what earthly trouble can overwhelm us? If God is for us, who can be against us? Every enemy must eventually fall. Every trouble must eventually be resolved in our favor, if not during this life, then most certainly in the next. Let us pray: O Lord, my God, your word is proven. You are a shield to all who trust in You. There is no God but You, no other rock. I praise You for giving me the shield of Your salvation, and for upholding me by Your right hand, through Christ who governs all things for my good. Amen.