Psalms 18:1-16: a reflection

1I love you, LORD, my strength. 2The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. 3I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies. 4The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me. 6In my distress I called on the LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears. 7Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry. 8Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. 9He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. 10He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind. 11He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 12At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire. 13The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire. 14He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts. 15Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. 16He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.

In this psalm of deliverance, when the psalmist was surrounded by the cords of death and cried out in distress, God heard from his temple and came down to rescue him, reaching down to draw him out of deep waters. In my distress I called on the LORD, the psalm says, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came into his ears. Then, in vivid imagery, God comes down: bowing the heavens, riding on the wind, thundering from the sky, to rescue his servant. He sent from on high, the psalm says; he took me; he drew me out of many waters. When the psalmist cried out from deep distress, God did not stay distant; he heard, and came down, and reached into the depths to draw him out and rescue him. This shows that God hears our cry and comes to rescue, drawing us out of deep waters. God hears your cry in distress and comes to rescue you. God reaches down into the depths to draw out those who cry to him. When you cry to God from deep trouble, he does not stay distant. God comes to the aid of those who call on him in distress.

Notice the movement of this deliverance, from the cry to the rescue. The psalmist was in deep distress: the cords of death surrounded him, the floods of destruction terrified him, the snares of death closed in. From this distress, he cried out to God: in my distress I called on the LORD. And God heard: he heard my voice out of his temple; my cry came into his ears. Then the psalm pictures God coming to the rescue in vivid, dramatic imagery: he bows the heavens and comes down, rides on the wings of the wind, thunders from the sky, sends out his arrows, all to rescue his servant. And the rescue itself: he sent from on high, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. God reached down from on high into the deep waters where the psalmist was drowning, and drew him out to safety. This holds a great comfort for our own distress. When we cry out to God from deep trouble, the floods and snares that close in on us, God does not stay distant and unmoved. He hears our cry, and he comes: reaching down, even into the depths where we are sinking, to take hold of us and draw us out. God is not a distant deity indifferent to our cries; he hears, and comes to the rescue of those who call on him in distress, reaching into the depths to draw them out. We do well, in our distress, to cry out to God, who hears and comes to rescue, reaching down to draw us out of deep waters. In distress, cry out to God, who hears and comes to rescue you. God reaches down into the depths to draw out those who cry to him. God does not stay distant when you cry from deep trouble. Trust the God who comes to the aid of those who call on him.

That is worth resting in, for God hears our cry in distress and comes to rescue, reaching down to draw us out of deep waters, as God heard the psalmist and drew him out. In deep trouble we can feel God is distant and unmoved; but the psalmist cried out, and God heard from his temple and came down to draw him out of many waters. God comes. When you cry to God from deep distress, do not think him distant and indifferent; he hears, and comes to rescue, reaching down to draw you out. In your distress, cry out to God, who hears your cry and comes to rescue, reaching down into the depths to draw you out of deep waters, as in this psalm of deliverance when the psalmist was surrounded by the cords of death and cried out in distress, God heard from his temple and came down to rescue him, drawing him out of deep waters, since the psalmist called on the LORD in his distress and God heard his voice out of his temple and his cry came into his ears, and then in vivid imagery God comes down, bowing the heavens, riding on the wind, and thundering from the sky, and sends from on high, takes him, and draws him out of many waters; for when the psalmist cried out from deep distress God did not stay distant but heard and came down and reached into the depths to draw him out and rescue him, which holds a great comfort for our own distress, since when we cry out to God from deep trouble, the floods and snares that close in on us, God does not stay distant and unmoved but hears our cry and comes, reaching down even into the depths where we are sinking to take hold of us and draw us out, not a distant deity indifferent to our cries but one who hears and comes to the rescue of those who call on him in distress, so that we do well in our distress to cry out to God who hears and comes to rescue.

Lord, in this psalm of deliverance, when the psalmist was surrounded by the cords of death and cried out in distress, you heard from your temple and came down to rescue him, reaching down to draw him out of deep waters. In my distress I called on the LORD, the psalm says, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came into his ears. Then, in vivid imagery, you come down: bowing the heavens, riding on the wind, thundering from the sky, to rescue your servant. You sent from on high, the psalm says; you took me; you drew me out of many waters. When the psalmist cried out from deep distress, you did not stay distant; you heard, and came down, and reached into the depths to draw him out and rescue him. Show me the movement of this deliverance, from the cry to the rescue. The psalmist was in deep distress: the cords of death surrounded him, the floods terrified him, the snares of death closed in. From this distress, he cried out to you: in my distress I called on the LORD. And you heard: my cry came into your ears. Then the psalm pictures you coming to the rescue: bowing the heavens and coming down, riding on the wings of the wind, thundering from the sky, all to rescue your servant. And the rescue itself: you sent from on high, you took me, you drew me out of many waters. You reached down from on high into the deep waters where the psalmist was drowning, and drew him out to safety. This holds a great comfort for my own distress. When I cry out to you from deep trouble, the floods and snares that close in on me, you do not stay distant and unmoved. You hear my cry, and you come: reaching down, even into the depths where I am sinking, to take hold of me and draw me out. You are not a distant deity indifferent to my cries; you hear, and come to the rescue of those who call on you. Take that to my heart. In my distress, help me cry out to you, Lord, who hear my cry and come to rescue, reaching down into the depths to draw me out of deep waters, not staying distant when I cry from deep trouble, but coming to the aid of those who call on you.