I love you, O Lord, my strength.
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. (v1-2)
When I was 18 years old, I forced myself to believe these 2 verses.
Wait a second…I was 18. And it’s psalm 18. I JUST PUT THAT TOGETHER. #GodSighting
I digress.
My freshman year of college was SO HARD you guys. So. Hard. I moved away from the familiar and felt so lost. I was in a sea of strangers with no connection; on a team with no teammates. I had nowhere to go.
So, I decided to read my Bible like any good Southern Baptist girl should do when she has no other solution.
(Side note: there typically is no other solution, so we should just start with Jesus.)
I came to psalm 18 and immediately thought, “Yes. This. This is truth and I need to know it in the depths of my soul.”
I would repeat these verses to myself every day.
This is who God is: He is my rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, horn of my salvation, and stronghold. He is the One I take refuge in.
Even if I feel distant from Him, it doesn’t change who He is.
The truth of God’s character and who He is toward me pulled me out of some krap.
But
it doesn’t end there.
The kewlest thing about God’s Word is that it truly is living and active.
When I re-read this psalm tonight, truth that I need to know in the depths of my soul leapt of the page/screen:
He rescued me, because He delighted in me. (v19)
For it is You who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. (v28)
Yes, Lord. Yes.
He delights in me.
He lightens my darkness.
He fills the space in my heart that nothing and no one else can.
He shows up in ways only He knows how.
He truly is the One in whom I take refuge.
He is the One who, through Jesus, has brought great salvation and steadfast love to you & I.
Man, Lord.
I do love You.
Kayla Smith 