(Psalms 18:35) “Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.”

This is the third devotion in the series (which covers Psalms 18:32-45). We continue with David’s comments on (Psalms 18:35). Today’s verse continues the detailed list of God’s actions of deliverance for His children. Note the verbs, “given,” “holden,” and “made.” These verbs reveal the action of God (Hebrew word is “EL” – which points to Jehovah as “Almighty”; see Strong’s # 410). The preeminence of these verbs is that the action originates and is performed by God, not man. David had no problem in giving God the honor and praise for God being the Origin and Performer of actions to him and through him. This must be mentioned because the world today tries to give honor and praise to the believer for his success based upon the believer’s obedience or upon the believer’s own merit; whether it be his intelligence, his own good works, or because the believer willed it so.

Now to Part Three in this series. David continues to manifest the Actions of God to the believers using pronouns and verbs. “He” being God; and the verbs revealing God’s actions in and upon the believer: “given me the shield of thy salvation”; “thy right hand hath holden me up”; “thy gentleness hath made me great.”

Note, the following phrases of David:

1. “Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation:”

            The Hebrew word translated “shield” means, “a shield (that is, the small one or buckler); figuratively a protector; also, the scaly hide of the crocodile: – armed, buckler, defence, ruler, shield.” God was David’s Shield, even though David had only five smooth stones and a sling, when he defeated Goliath. The believer’s protection in the temporal is not in physical things such as stones, spears, etc. – but in God. The believer may have the strongest physique, the greatest command over his muscle performance, or the greatest plan to defeat his enemies – yet, only God could have directed the stone that slew Goliath.  So, it is in the spiritual battles; for the believer may have the greatest of intellects, or the zeniths of degrees in higher education – however, what the believer cannot overcome himself is dwelling in his flesh, and that is sin. But, the only Shield that the believer has is the “Salvation of the Christ.”

When a believer is brought to confess that Christ is his Sacrifice, Substitute and Savior; wherein the believer is brought to “know” (1 Jn. 5:20) that he is in Christ and that Christ is in him. When he knows that, being “in Christ,” he is no longer under “condemnation”; that all the Promises for the believer are in Christ Jesus; therefore, there is nothing that can separate him from Christ (Rom. 8:29-39); which means he is secure in Christ now and forever and ever. In the “Salvation of Christ” is the “Shield of the believer”; for the enemy of the believer is the enemy of Christ; and the battle is not the believer’s, but God’s (2 Chro. 20:15). Every Purpose; every Promise; and every Word of God, which are sealed by the Work of Christ and His Resurrection, is the believer’s Shield.

2. “…and thy right hand hath holden me up…”

The Hebrew word translated “holden,” means,“to support (mostly figuratively): – comfort, establish, hold up, refresh self, strengthen, be upholden.” David said that it was God’s “right hand” that strengthened him. The “right hand” is a figurative phrase speaking of Christ, Who is styled the Right Hand of God (“being exalted at it; and because by him he communicates all good things to his people, and with Him upholds and sustains them”) (Ps. 20:6).

This also designs the Firm Foundation and the Security that God and His complete Power is and does Perform every “jot and tittle” of His Word to His children. The knowledge and experience of every believer of God maintaining and sustaining the Grace, Mercy and Love in the believer; giving the believer new mercies every morning to carry out the love of God; and giving the obedient believer victory over the flesh and this world; upholding the believer firm in the Grace of God as he faces the enemies of the Cross on a daily basis. The Promises are sure and amen in Christ; therefore, the believer cannot fail in Christ (Phil. 4:13, 19). 

3. “…and thy gentleness hath made me great.”

First, David addressed God’s ordained role for him. David was brought from a low position in society – a shepherd boy, poor and unnoticed, even by his own brothers – to be a great servant of God. But, God had a plan to make David, the shepherd boy, the king of all Israel; to defeat all his enemies; to lay in store the materials that Solomon, David’s son, would use to build the Temple of Solomon; wherein, God came to dwell on earth between the Cherubims above the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. David also came to be the Sweet Psalmist of Israel; whose Psalms have been read by millions and millions over the millenniums of time; whose readers have changed, conformed, and confirmed in the faith of Jesus Christ.

David was very careful to give God the honor and preeminence of making him great. Every child of grace should follow David’s example of giving God honor and preeminence for God’s Wonderful, Marvelous, and Indwelling Grace in every believer. It is owing to the Grace, Love, and Mercy given to the believer that is the believer’s salvation, physically and spiritually (Col. 1:27). It is in Christ that believers are possessors of Eternal Life, and have the security forever and ever of Eternal Life in Christ. (See Romans 8:1-39; please read this chapter in its entirety.)