(Psalms 18:1)  “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.”

(Psa 18:2) “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.”

Our text today is Psalms 18:1d-2a. Here David begins with the phrase, “…my Strength,” in the last part of Psalms 18:1. With this phrase, and all of Psalms 18:2, David enumerates the many faces of the Foundation of the love he has for God. This phrase is the first description David gives of the Revelation of Who God is to him. These following facts of Who God is to David are: a confession of, an acknowledgment of, and an understanding of his Position in Christ.

The Position of the believer in Christ has its Origin and Fulfilment in the Eternal Covenant of Grace (Eph. 1:4-11; 3:4-6; Rom. 8:29-30), and in the Power of His Might. The most important event in a sinner’s life is coming to the “understanding” of his “position” in Christ. This understanding, or this perception, is given to the sinner in regeneration and conversion; for this understanding is the “gift” of God to the sinner. The quickened and converted sinner has the following “understanding” of the Foundation:

First Block of The Foundation: “my strength.”

A Confession of:

The word “strength” is defined as “help.” This Hebrew word translated “strength” in (Ps. 18:1) in the KJV, is only used one time. However, the word translated “strength” comes from a Hebrew word (Strong’s #2388) that means “to fasten upon; hence to seize, be strong (figuratively courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify.” In many Psalms, David calls God his “help” (Ps. 33:20; 46:1; 63:7). David said God was his help, strength, and that which fortifies him. David said, ‘You LORD, I confess as My Strength (or Help); I know there is no other than You, My Help. I confess that I can do nothing without You.’

This confession is not to man, but to: ‘You O LORD.’ Without this understanding in the sinner’s heart; he cannot say, or will not say, ‘I love You, LORD.’ The Apostle Paul said it best, (1 Corinthians 15:10) “But by the grace of God I am what I am.” Until this is your confession, you have not begun the Christian Race that is set before you to run with patience (Heb. 12:1).

An Acknowledgment of:

Not only did David make confession to God; but also, David acknowledged privately and publicly in his lifestyle that God, and only God, the True and Living God, was his Strength (or Help). The lifestyle of acknowledgment is manifested in the believer’s attitude, actions, and attire.

First, the Attitude of Acknowledgment is that the believer’s “First Love” is Christ; God before self. This means that the believer has Surrendered to the Sovereignty of God, to bow to His Plan and Purpose; whether the believer understands it. But, plainly and simply trust God for everything in your life.

Secondly, the Action of Acknowledgment is revealed in the believer’s Submission to the Will of God as revealed in the Word of God. It is God’s will for His children to walk in the Love of God, in the Holiness of Righteousness; to rest in the Promises of God; to abide in the Peace of God; and to live in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly, the Attire of Acknowledgment is in the Obedience to the Word of God; and to Endure in the same unto the end. That is, walk daily, even as Christ walked; that is, according to the Will of God, as directed in His Written Word, and do this unto the end. The believer can talk it, and want to; but, until the believer “obeys it” he has not acknowledged it.

An Understanding of:

(1Jn 5:20) “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”

When the believer can confess, declare, and walk in Him; it is because of the believer’s “understanding.” This understanding comes from the witness of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:14-16; Gal. 4:5-6); whereby the believer can cry, “…Abba, Father.” The Holy Spirit gives every believer an internal witness that he is a child of God; that God is his Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. When a sinner is brought to Conversion; this means he confesses (Rom. 10:9-10). He “knows” (by experience – in Regeneration and Conversion) that Jesus was God in the Flesh; his own personal Sacrifice for his sin debt (Eph. 1:7); his own Substitute, Who stood in his place and paid the eternal price as He suffered the wrath of God for him (2 Cor. 5:21); and Who was his Savior, Who Reconciled him; Redeemed him from sin’s penalty, punishment, practice, and power; and who Justified him (or declared him Righteousness) in His Atonement on the Cross of Calvary (Rom. 3:2-4-25).

The Second Block of The Foundation: “The LORD is my rock”

David reveals the second block, or stone, of the Foundation of his love for Christ, which is, “The LORD s my Rock.” The Hebrew Word that is translated “rock” is from a root word that means “to be lofty; literally, a rock; figuratively (a fortress); a rock, stone, strong hold.”

(Deut. 32:4) “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.)

(1Cor. 10:4) “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

Therefore, David is declaring that Jehovah (Christ) was his fortress, or stronghold. How is Christ the believer’s Rock? He is their Shelter and Safety; their Supply, Support, Security, Confidence, and Comfort; upon Whom the believer builds his hope of eternal life and happiness. In Whom the believer is safe from all enemies and from all harm (Ps. 61:1-8).      

Conclusion:

The prayer for you, reader of this devotion – if you can’t say with David, “…And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength” – is: That you will come to confess that Christ is Who you love, with your all; body, soul and spirit. That you will come to confess that Christ is your “Sufficiency” (2 Cor. 3:5) and Him alone.

Oh, happy day it is when a sinner comes to rest in the Salvation of Christ by the Grace of God. Oh, happy day it is when the sinner comes to confess, acknowledge and understand that he is “in Christ,” and Christ is in him. Oh, happy day it is to unashamedly confess, acknowledge, and understand that Christ is his “Help” and in Him is his Hope, in Him is his All in all.