Year 5, Day 170: Psalm 17-18

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Protection

• Protection: In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray that God might deliver us from evil – even the Evil One.  Sometimes we need God’s protection from the sin around us.  Sometimes we need protection from the sinful people around us.  Other times we need protection from the sin that lies within ourselves. In any case, Jesus’ point is clear.  We need protection from the Father to make it through each and every day.

It should not surprise us that we didn’t go too far before finding another pair of psalms where the idea of protection is key.  Once more we have psalms of David speaking about his life and his need for God to protect him.  David knows what we all know.  It doesn’t matter who we are – great or small.  None of us can control everyone around us.  There will always be people who do not like us.  There will always be people who desire to do us harm and damage our name.  We cannot control this.  We need the Lord, who can protect us in the midst of the evil schemes against us.

In Psalm 17, we get a strong sense of a man in the midst of the need.  He calls upon the Lord because he is certain that the Lord will answer.  God knows what it is like to have adversaries around and He can deal with it!  God can hide us in His shadow. 

But I especially like how this psalm ends.  This is not a psalm of smug vindication.  The psalm doesn’t end with David gloating over the downfall of his enemies.  The psalm ends with a reminder that David will be satisfied in God’s protection.  When the Lord protects him – however the Lord protects him – he will be satisfied.

In Psalm 18, we get a sense that this is a psalm of praise after David has known the protection of the Lord.  This is not a psalm in the midst of the stress but a psalm written after the outcome is known and the protection of the Lord has been put on display.  In distress the psalmist called out and God heard.  God roused Himself from His temple and saved the psalmist.  And look at how the Lord can work.  The world around Him bears His power.  The elements do not stand over Him as they do us.  The elements bow to His will and do His bidding.  And what can we say about the protection of the Lord?  It is fierce, but is it also merciful and compassionate.  He does not just swoop in to save us but He also equips us so we can work with Him.  His protection is indeed like a rock and He deserves our praise and glory.

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