As Christ-followers, we serve a God who is not surprised at all by what we face each day. God is sovereign, so he knows all about panic, pandemics, chaos, and confusion. And he is with us no matter what we face. This is His PROMISE!

God has also left us His Word, so we can go to it any time we need reassurance of his presence. And in His Word, we find Psalm 18:2. In this one short verse, we can discover incredible measures of encouragement and motivation to believe in God. We can find and discover God gives us eight promises we can proclaim—about who He is and how He always finds us and helps in all our circumstances.

Psalm 18:1-2 King James Version

18 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

² The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

1. The Lord Is My Rock

In times of trouble, when we feel shaky with life’s circumstances, it’s mightily inspiring and encouraging to know that God is our rock. God Someone who is extremely strong and mighty. Someone we can bear hug and hold onto when we feel the entire earth under our souls moving. It invigorates and motivates my soul to believe there is no one we can trust who is more reliable than the Lord.

In the chorus of the song The Solid Rock, by Edward Mote, he writes:

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

Christ is also referred to as the Rock of Ages in the hymn by Augustus Montague Toplady.

So often the words of hymns have brought me comfort as they tend to take my eyes off my circumstances and instead place them where they ought to be, on the Lord.

Rock of ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

The picture I get in my mind is of a small child being afraid who runs to his parent for protection. Once there, the child feels as if everything will be okay.

2. The Lord Is My Fortress

When the word, “fortress,” refers to a person, it means that person is not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance.

The Lord is Almighty. He cannot be influenced, and nothing shakes the Lord. It reminds me of when Jesus was brought into the wilderness for 40 days and Satan tried to tempt him. Each time, the Lord responded in the same way. He used the words, “It is written…” He quoted verses straight from the scriptures.

God is our mighty fortress. Nothing is more powerful than our God.

Nothing can defeat him. The enemy tries to make us fearful by scaring us about what could happen, what might transpire. But God is aware of his tactics, and we can trust in His power.

3. The Lord is my Deliverer

To deliver means that you are removed from pain or from a situation. At times, it could also mean you will be delivered from whatever is going on around you. God delivered Daniel from the lion’s den. He was not physically delivered, but instead, God took the danger away by shutting the mouths of the lions (Daniel 6:19-23). God used an angel to ensure Daniel’s safety.

Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we have been delivered from the penalty of sin. And God has also delivered us from the power of sin, because we’re told if the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:36).

One day we will be in a new heaven and earth where there is no sin, but where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13). All because the Lord is our deliverer.

4. God Is My God

All the attributes of God are wonderful, but what makes them so great is that God is my God. He’s someone I can call on at any time of the day or night. He has given me total access to his throne room where I am invited to bring him my petitions, knowing that God will answer them according to his perfect will.

God and I don’t think alike. He tells us that his ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55: 8-9).

God loved us so much he sacrificed his precious Son and when we accept Jesus, what he did for us, our Creator becomes our Father. And God becomes my God.

I know God cares about me and tells me to cast my cares on him (1 Peter 5:7). I also know whatever circumstances I experience in life; God will work together for good for those who believe (Romans 8:28).

But truly, knowing that God will never leave me nor forsake me leaves me speechless, because everyone else in our lives can leave us—but our heavenly Father promises he won’t (Deuteronomy 31:6).

5. God is my Refuge

A refuge is a shelter of protection from danger or distress. It is like finding a safe place during a storm. The fears we face about these times cause even faithful Christian’s moments of unrest. And while we can focus on what is happening around us, it is much to our benefit if, like Peter, we keep our eyes on the Lord instead of focusing on the wind and waves crashing around us. (Matthew 14:29-32)

David was often running from enemies and in danger, yet he called out to God.

The same God who helped him when he was a boy, facing a lion and a bear. And later, as he stood facing the huge Philistine, Goliath. The youthful Shepherd David remembered the same God who had helped him before would give him what he needed now (1 Samuel 17:37).

All of us can probably remember when God delivered us from danger. The Holy Spirit is faithful in reminding us God never changes (Psalm 102:25-27).

6. God is my Shield

God provides protection for us. Our adversary, Satan, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Yet, God reminds us that if we have accepted the Lord, we are God’s children and that the Spirit of God who abides in us is greater than the enemy who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

We remember when God told Abram that he was Abram’s shield and exceeding great reward (Genesis 15:1). God cares for his own. He is a loving father. And I know that if an earthly parent has this inborn desire to protect his family, how much more would the God of the universe protect his children?

7. God is the Horn of my Salvation

The horn is representative of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. It is a promise of future protection for believers. The kind of horn meant is the deadly weapon of the wild ox. In scripture it says, “thou has exalted my horn like that of the wild ox” (Psalm 92:9).

The horn is a sign of strength and a means of sure, and certain victory. God tells Jerusalem, “Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron and your hoofs bronze…” (Micah 4:13).

God is the horn of salvation because he uses his power to secure and protect his people. God isn’t the horn of our salvation merely to liberate us, but also to make us holy and righteous people who don’t live in fear because we trust God.

8. God is my Stronghold

A stronghold is something which has been heavily fortified, so it is protected against the very worst forms and methods of attack. I love the idea that God has fortified us. He’s given us his Word, which guides us and gives us wisdom.

God has also told us in Scripture about how we are to put on the armor of God.

With the full armor of God, we will be able to stand against the rulers, the authorities, and the powers of this dark world, as well as stand against the spiritual forces of evil. The full armor of God will protect us from the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:10-18).

When Paul sought the Lord because of an infirmity, God did not remove what was hurting Paul, but instead, God encouraged and reminded Paul that God’s grace would be all-sufficient, for God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

Encouraged, Inspired and motivated, Paul then realized he would be wiser to boast of his weaknesses, as well as his hardships and calamities because in Paul’s weakness, God’s strength was evident (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

In our lives, there are many times when things look impossible. And even then we are reminded that Jesus said impossible things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26).

Yes, God is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

In Psalm chapter 18, we read David’s response to the Lord after being delivered from the hands of his oppressors, his enemies. David walked through the fire and was now able to look back and affirm God’s great love for him through his trails and tribulations.

We, too, walked through our own modern-day fires, (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), and each of our natural inclinations just might be to turn from truth instead of towards truth. Yet, I love the vivid example we have in this portion of Scripture. David uses powerful descriptions in verses one and two, all of which can apply to us

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Father God, I thank you for your protection. I thank you that you are Almighty and that nothing can touch us unless you allow it. Even in times like this, Lord, you are our refuge. You are our hiding place (Psalm 32:7). You are our only sufficiency (2 Corinthians 3:5). You are the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come (Revelation 1:8). And we look forward to living eternally with you. Thank you, Lord, for your protection. We praise you for being our God. And we pray others will see us trusting you and want to know about the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15). We pray all this in your Son’s precious name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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