“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” 2 Samuel 22:2-4
It is believed by scholars that David wrote this prayer of gratitude many years before it appears in scripture. But that maybe as David neared the end of his life he was looking back over his life with gratitude and reminds himself of his own words. It is believed that this was originally penned around the time of Saul’s death when David took the throne. But David does a lot of living between the time that he would have originally written this and when it appears in scripture if that is the case. David has sinned and repented, he has gone to war, he had family issues with his own children that he didn’t handle yet through it all, he remained grateful to God for what God had given him and how God had carried him through his life.
As you walk with God and allow Him free rein to work in your life, much like David your faith and trust in God will grow. David may have penned these words as a young man but as he recounts his words nearing the end of his life, I think he knows God to be these things (rock, fortress, deliverer etc.) on a deeper level. At least I know it is that way with me.
I have walked with God for a long time. I became a christian in my teens and I spent the next several years trying to be good enough for God. And failing miserably at it, I might add. I fell over and over again as I tried that method. But in my early thirties I started truly walking with the Lord and having a daily quiet time with him and asking Him to direct my path and my steps as I attempted to navigate life.
I remember becoming very grateful for my salvation and the Lord’s presence in my life as a young woman. I know that I wanted to look at Him as these things, (my rock, fortress, deliverer, etc.) but friends, there are just some things that can’t be taught, but have to be experienced. Or at least that is the way it has been for me in my experience. As I have walked with Him for years now I can honestly say that He has been a rock and a fortress for me when I was not sure if I would be able to take another step. He has delivered me from things that were of my own stupidity and He has delivered me from things that were just plain circumstances of life. But the one thing I can tell you is that He has delivered me.
I love that David gave us the example of looking back over his life and saying thanks to God for what He had carried him through. David knew life circumstances that were a result of his own sin and David knew life circumstances that were a result of someone else’s sin. But through it all David knew the deliverance of his God and he knew the benefit of saying thanks to God, who is worthy to be praised. I hope that is where I find myself too. I want to live with an attitude of gratitude to Him for what He has carried me through thus far and what He will carry me through in the future.
Today, I am thankful for Thanksgiving week. Since I work for a school, I am fortunate enough to get the whole week. I will have good time to prepare this week and hopefully will have some down time too. Remember to say thanks to God for all He has done and all He is going to do in your life!
Restore 