January 16, 2001
Today's Glimpse comes from my favorite Psalm . I've learned more about the heart and character of God from this one Psalm over the years... what I want to share isn't a new thought I discovered today; it's one I needed to go back to this morning.
"He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes; who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me."
Psalm 18:16-19
Today was one of those days that started off rough... my heart was hurting about some things. When I feel like that I inevitably turn to this Psalm because it helps me get quick hold on myself by getting a clearer picture of God - it actually helps me to get an image of God that is so tender and loving that it calms me down immediately. These few verses make more sense if you look closely at what has gone right before. In vs 1-6 David pours out the distress, anguish he's feeling. It's so intense he feels like he's going to die or perhaps wants to and he cries out to God in his pain. Then in vs 7 - 15 he describes God coming down in response to his cries - these verses are some of the most vivid 'word pictures' there are and they help me understand God's heart. Those verses use strong powerful imagery to relate how God responds in action, what's described is powerful & thunderous but; then tone changes abruptly in vs 16. It becomes so incredibly tender and gentle as David describes God finally reaching him and how God responds to him at that moment. The picture I get in my mind is a parent who hears their child in the crib cry, not just any cry but the one that communicates, something is terribly wrong here. They tear across the house, feet pounding on the floor, not caring how much noise they make, not caring if they knock things over but the minute they reach the crib they slow down, with a calmer spirit and gentle words they reach over to pick up their child - at that moment there is only tenderness and comfort. That's how God is with us. When we feel this hurt, pain or anguished and we cry out to him his response to us is that he literally tears down form heaven to reach out and hold us!!
"....he rescued me because he delighted in me." Psalm 18:19b
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