16He reached down from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of mighty waters.
17He delivered me from my strong enemy,
and from those who hated me;
for they were too mighty for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity;
but the Lord was my support.
19He brought me out into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.
21For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22For all his ordinances were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from guilt.
24Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25With the loyal you show yourself loyal;
with the blameless you show yourself blameless;
26with the pure you show yourself pure;
and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.
27For you deliver a humble people,
but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28It is you who light my lamp;
the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
29By you I can crush a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30This God—his way is perfect;
the promise of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
When we draw close to God, God draws close to us. The more we know about God, the more we know about God's nature. Similar things are drawn to each other. These words come to mind after reflecting on this portion of Psalm 18. To those who follow God, God shows himself true and pure. Those who don't get to see another part of God.
It seems that those who draw close to God get a sense of the God they serve. This is a good thing. But to get a sense of the God that the evil do not serve must be terrifying. Yet it always comes back to God be a refuge and a strength. God is a source of comfort in times of trial. Instead of trying to find out what that means, it is better to practice turning to God. As a test, try to set to memory verse 30 of Psalm 18:
This God—his way is perfect;
the promise of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
Pray Psalm 18:30 and let God be your refuge.
G. Thomas Martin