Bruce Psalms 18:2

Psalm 18:2

In Psalms 18 verse 2 we are learning some amazing truths about who God is and why we should love him.The last 5 things mentioned are: “In whom I will trust, my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

In the middle of this verse, in the middle of all this information given about who the LORD Jesus is and what He does for his children it says, “In whom I will trust.” Everything centers around trusting in Jesus. Salvation: eternal life and the forgiveness of sins come by trusting in Jesus. And to love even one must have trust. The more you trust God, the more you believe His promises, the more you will love Him. If you take everything that there is to learn in Psalms 18:2 and truly learn it, then the result will be that you will trust in Jesus. There are many reasons to trust in Jesus. But there is no reason not to.

You should trust Jesus because he died for your sins. You should trust Jesus because he always keeps his Word. You should trust Jesus because He loves you. You should trust Jesus because He is all powerful and knows what is best for you. You should trust Jesus because He will take care of you. Or to say it the way the Psalmist did here in Psalms 18, you should trust Jesus because He is your rock, your fortress, your deliverer, your God, your strength, and your buckler.

A buckler is a shield. In the New Testament we are told to take the shield of faith. The way that Jesus becomes your buckler is by you trusting in him. Genesis 15:1 says, “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”

Abram believed God’s Words and God became his shield. We know that Jesus keeps his promises, and the promises He made to Abram have been kept. The same can be true for you if you allow Jesus to be your shield. Of course, the defining function of a shield is to protect from attack. The forces of evil in this world are going to attack you. If you do not have the shield of faith, how will you defend against those attacks? Without Jesus as your buckler you will be devoured by the destroyer when his fiery darts are cast your way.

Next we are told that the LORD is the horn of my salvation. What is a horn? When you think of a rhinoceros most likely the first thing you think about is its horn. The horn is what distinguishes a rhino as a rhino. It is the crown of such an animal’s beauty and strength. When you think of salvation the very first thing you should think of is the person of Jesus Christ. Salvation is only possible because Jesus paid it all and died for your sins. Salvation is only possible because Jesus is God. He is the horn of salvation. Everything about salvation centers around, is built upon, and is because of Him. Without Jesus there is no salvation. Salvation is not being saved from your sins. Salvation is being saved from your sins by Jesus. Jesus is everything. He is the horn of your salvation. It is Jesus that we worship. It is Jesus that we serve. It is Jesus that we honor and praise. It is Jesus that is our friend and it is Jesus that we pray to. Because He is the horn of salvation, there is no other name among heaven and earth by which men may be saved from their sins.

Lastly Psalms 18:2 says the Lord is “my high tower”. This Word “high tower” is elsewhere translated as the word “refuge.” Psalms 46:7 says, “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” The dictionary defines a refuge as a place that provides escape from danger and distress. In this world most people think of the home when they think about the idea of such a place. But there is only one place that is a high tower and it will not be found in any building or mountain top but it can only be found in Jesus. If Jesus is with you, if you are where Jesus wants you to be, then you are in the best place possible.

There is one other important characteristic to consider about a tower. A tower is a place where one can stand and look out afar off to see what lays ahead. One of the great fears of man is the fear of the unknown: the fear of what disasters or distress the future may hold. But with Jesus as your high tower you can see afar off. And as you look into His word you will find that everything is already revealed. Jesus has it all planned out how this world will end. It will end in victory for those who trust in Him and will end in dwelling in eternal refuge from all possible distress and danger. Whatever you do, do not forget that Jesus is your high tower.

Another function of a tower is that that one can see far off to behold the enemy coming. Do not be blind to what is going on in your life. If you trust in Jesus, if you rely upon him for wisdom, then you have the help you need to see such spiritual attacks and temptations before it is too late. This is what is meant in the book of Proverbs when it says, “a prudent man forseeth the evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.” This principle is so important the verse is written twice in the book of Proverbs (22:3 and 27:12).

As we consider all these truths about who the LORD is there should be no surprise that Psalms 18:3 says, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from mine enemies.” Too often men are praised. But the Bible never praises men. It only recognizes them for their faith in Jesus. Men should not be praised. Men only sin and fail. Jesus should be praised. Jesus deserves all the praise. If only Jesus was given more praise, then more men would call upon him because to praise is to recognize what God has done and will do for men: especially the saving from enemies. Of course, the greatest enemy of man is the devil and sin. And these are enemies that men are delivered from when they call upon the name of the LORD Jesus Christ to find forgiveness for their sins.

The rest of Psalms chapter 18 gives for us more detail about this phrase, “call upon the LORD.” Another way of saying it is prayer. The Psalms speak a great deal about prayer. Perhaps it shows the foolishness of man that one of the easiest things to do, to pray to God, is one of the most neglected acts in most men’s lives. Do not underestimate the power of prayer. Jesus said (Luke 11:9, Matthew 7:7), “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find.” It only takes one prayer to change the world and it only takes one prayer to save your soul. For who is God save the LORD? Or who is a rock save our God?

Let’s take a look now at the rest of Psalms 18 and consider its description of how God responds to prayer. Psalms 18:4-29 says, “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of skies. At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upgright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; with the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the forward thou wilt shew thyself forward. For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop and by my God have I leaped over a wall.”

God is a God of action. God is not a time-waster. The truth is simply that men have such extreme impatience that we often do not see just how carefully a busy God is toiling away at his work in this world. But if your desire is to see God in action and to behold the great works of God, all you have to do is pray. There are 6 billion people on this earth. How many of them pray to Jesus? Not many. Some things God is going to do no matter what. But some things He only does because His children pray to him. Prayer moves God. Why? Because God wants a relationship with man. Because prayer is a vial of incense poured before the throne of God. Think of these many verses in Psalms 18 as a description of the majesty of God and a description of how God responds to those who, because they are found righteous in Jesus, turn to Him in prayer.

Consider carefully these verses which describe God’s response to prayer. This passage of scripture may very well describe the return of Christ. “Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fires out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.”

Consider Revelation 19:11-15, “And I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, which and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

For thousands of years God’s children have been persecuted, tortured, and killed. Their cries and pleas for God’s mercy, deliverance, and justice have been pouring before the great white Throne. One thing is for certain the way that the floods of ungodly mean treat God’s children, who God loves, make God angry. God is going to answer those prayers.

Psalms 18:4-6 says, “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.”

Prayer moves God. Do not underestimate the power of prayer. God is a God of action and even though one day is with the LORD as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day it may indeed be that God will do things swifter simply because of the prayers of God’s children. If you are ever in need, If you are ever impatient because of some need or some suffering or some fear of evil, simply pray to Jesus. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which though knowest not.” Nothing moves God like prayer. And God will move the fountains of the world to answer the prayers of His children.

Lastly, to truly understand the power of prayer consider carefully these verses: Psalms 18:19-24, “He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.”

God is holy and He delights in Holiness. That is why the voice of God spoke from heaven on the day of Jesus’ baptism and said, (Matthew 3:17) “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” There is no one more Holy than Jesus. The truth is there is no in-between. You are either Holy are you are unholy because a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. If you know Jesus as your Savior, then you have the righteousness of the law through Christ imputed unto you. If you do not know Jesus, then there is no holiness whatsoever in you. Another way of saying it is: God delights in those that delight in Jesus. This is how you can be sure that your prayers will be heard, because of Jesus. God will not hear your prayers because they are more eloquently said than others. The most effective prayers are those spoken by those who most consciously and in their hearts rely upon the grace of Christ. That is why it says in the New Testament, (Hebrews 4:16) “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.” This why Jesus is the one mediator between God and man. Jesus is your mediator. Pray to Him relying upon His righteousness and upon the effort that He gave when He fulfilled the law and died on the cross. Then you will know your prayers will have the power to move God and shake the foundations of the world.

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