YOU Stoop Down to Make ME Great…
I love Psalm 18. It has to be one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. David was writing this after God had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from Saul, who was trying to put him to death. David was rejoicing in God, his Rock and Deliverer. He is explaining that when he, the man after God’s own heart, cried out to the Lord, how powerfully God came and rescued him. In verse 6 David, in his distress, called to the Lord and cried to his God for help. It says that from His temple God heard David’s voice and that his cry came before him, into his ears. Then God responds in such an amazing way…as only God can do for the child that He loves. In verses 7-19 the Psalm explains how God was angry at David’s enemies and the earth trembled and quaked. God parted the heavens and came down, shot his arrows and scattered the enemies. He did not sit still. His child, who was righteous in his sight, cried to him and He heard…and acted. He not only comforted David, He routed the enemy with great force and placed David in a safe place. In verse 19 “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Later, in verse 35 David writes “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not turn.” What a great God we serve!
Our God delights in us! God delights in me! He loves me, saves me, rescues me when I am in trouble and sets my feet on a place where I can walk. He makes me great. He does all this out of his amazing love for me. All I have to do is ask.
So many times I’m going through a difficult time in life and I never ask for help when I desperately need it. I think to myself that I can handle it. Many times I don’t even think to ask God, and if I do ask God I don’t really expect Him to do anything. That wasn’t David’s cry when his life was about to be taken from him. He was desperate for God to move. He was crying out to God to save him…and He did. Sometimes I think we’re not really desperate enough for God to move. Maybe our physical life might not be at stake like David’s was, but our spiritual life, emotions and faith are being attacked and we just sit back and let the devil beat us up. Why in the world don’t we ask for help? We seem to have this false view that it’s wrong for us to be praying and believing God to move in our life. I mean, why should I ask God for anything for me when there are people out there who have real problems? Mine are only miniscule compared to everyone else’s. Well, maybe that’s the problem right there, and a lie from straight from the enemy. We compare ourselves to others and because of this sell ourselves short of God’s best for us. God has a desire to give us HIS best…yes, even to me and you. It’s not only for other people. He wants to rescue YOU and ME…not only him or her. It’s absolutely NOT selfish to cry out to God and ask for help. It’s not selfish to believe God for his favor, protection, peace, and prosperity for YOUR life, since it is a promise from Him because He delights in you. Sure, other people are all needy as well, and of course God wants us to help and pray for others, but we are only truly responsible for taking care of ourselves. If we don’t take care of ourselves and cry out to God to move in our lives, how can we truly expect to ever really help anyone else?
I know in my life when I’m loving on Jesus and experiencing him and His presence on a daily basis I have a great desire to bless others and help meet their needs. When my “love tank” is full, I want to give, and it’s easy to give. If I’m struggling every day, wondering why I do what I do, and have no direction in my own life, then there is no way that I can listen to the voice of God to be an encouragement to someone else. It’s only when we’re full of the Holy Spirit and walking in step with Him that we can truly put others needs before our own, like the scripture says to do.
So, do you believe that you’re great? Do you believe you have what it takes to do what God has called you to do, or are you letting the world dictate your life and being tossed back and forth without direction or purpose? Remember, YOUR needs are important. God delights in you and longs to fill your heart with more of the fullness of his love every single day. He wants YOUR heart to be well, so you can truly love others and serve them out of the joy inside, and not out of obligation. God stoops down to make YOU great!
