I LOVE YOU, O LORD

Passage: Psalms 18:1-19

Key verse: 1

NIV

Psalm 18[a](A)
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1 I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)

2 The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
    my shield[b](G) and the horn[c] of my salvation,(H) my stronghold.

3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.(J)
4 The cords of death(K) entangled me;
    the torrents(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death(M) confronted me.

6 In my distress(N) I called to the Lord;(O)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(P)
    my cry came(Q) before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled(R) and quaked,(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.(U)
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;(V)
    consuming fire(W) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(X) blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;(Y)
    dark clouds(Z) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(AA) and flew;
    he soared(AB) on the wings of the wind.(AC)
11 He made darkness his covering,(AD) his canopy(AE) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(AF) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones(AG) and bolts of lightning.(AH)
13 The Lord thundered(AI) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning(AK) he routed them.(AL)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(AN) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(AO)

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.(AP)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(AQ)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.(AR)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(AS)
    but the Lord was my support.(AT)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(AU)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.(AV)

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
  2. Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
  3. Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  4. Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, (A)the servant of the Lord, (B)who addressed the words of this (C)song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

18 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my (D)rock and my (E)fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my (F)rock, in (G)whom I take refuge,
    my (H)shield, and (I)the horn of my salvation, my (J)stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is (K)worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

4 (L)The cords of death encompassed me;
    (M)the torrents of destruction assailed me;[a]
5 (N)the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

6 (O)In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his (P)temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.

7 Then the earth (Q)reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,[b]
    and devouring (R)fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He (S)bowed the heavens and (T)came down;
    (U)thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on (V)the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his (W)canopy around him,
    thick clouds (X)dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him
    (Y)hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

13 The Lord also (Z)thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his (AA)voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his (AB)arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and (AC)routed them.
15 Then (AD)the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your (AE)rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of (AF)the breath of your nostrils.

16 He (AG)sent from on high, he took me;
    he (AH)drew me out of (AI)many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were (AJ)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 (AK)a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he (AL)delighted in me.

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 18:4 Or terrified me
  2. Psalm 18:8 Or in his wrath
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. I love you, O Lord, my strength

This Psalm is David's love confession to God. David had many enemies. King Saul put a price on his head and forced him to live as a fugitive, then as an exile. He was often just one step away from death. But he overcame fear of death and drove all the factors of death from his heart by taking refuge in God and calling on him for help. He experienced God's saving grace and he learned to live with God. He praised God and loved him with all the passion of his soul.

2. The Lord thundered from heaven

David saw the whole created world and all history from God's point of view. He worshiped the God of creation, and he saw the mighty acts of God in nature. The Creator God took hold of him to rescue him from the hands of his enemies. By faith, he was faithful to God; by faith, he kept his heart pure. He knew that it was God who kept his lamp burning.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to love you.

One Word: I love you, O Lord