1
00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720
Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

2
00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,720
Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

3
00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:14,920
Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the chapter a Day Audio Bible.

4
00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:20,760
Speaker 1: I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Psalm eighteen and

5
00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:25,959
Speaker 1: we'll be reading from the New Living Translation for the

6
00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,800
Speaker 1: choir director. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.

7
00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:32,559
Speaker 1: He sang the song to the Lord on the day

8
00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,160
Speaker 1: the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.

9
00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,720
Speaker 1: He sang, I love you, Lord, You are my strength.

10
00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,280
Speaker 1: The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior.

11
00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,720
Speaker 1: My God is my rock in whom I find protection.

12
00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:54,440
Speaker 1: He is my shield, the power that saves me and

13
00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,480
Speaker 1: my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who

14
00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,760
Speaker 1: is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

15
00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,920
Speaker 1: The ropes of death entangled me, The floods of destruction

16
00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,679
Speaker 1: swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me.

17
00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,480
Speaker 1: Death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress,

18
00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,680
Speaker 1: I cried out to the Lord. Yes, I prayed to

19
00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:24,200
Speaker 1: my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary.

20
00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,800
Speaker 1: My cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth

21
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:33,280
Speaker 1: quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook, they

22
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,760
Speaker 1: quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils.

23
00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:43,279
Speaker 1: Fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth

24
00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:47,640
Speaker 1: from him. He opened the heavens and came down. Dark

25
00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:52,280
Speaker 1: storm clouds were beneath his feet. Mounted on a mighty

26
00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:57,040
Speaker 1: angelic being, he flew soaring on the wings of the wind.

27
00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:02,000
Speaker 1: He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark

28
00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:07,080
Speaker 1: rain clouds. Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and

29
00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:12,360
Speaker 1: rained down hail and burning coals. The Lord thundered from heaven.

30
00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,160
Speaker 1: The voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail

31
00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:21,360
Speaker 1: and burning coals. He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies.

32
00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,240
Speaker 1: Great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused. Then

33
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,880
Speaker 1: at your command, o Lord, at the blast of your breath,

34
00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,440
Speaker 1: the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the

35
00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:37,960
Speaker 1: foundations of the earth were laid bare. He reached down

36
00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,040
Speaker 1: from heaven and rescued me. He drew me out of

37
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:45,440
Speaker 1: deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from

38
00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:47,760
Speaker 1: those who hated me and were too strong for me.

39
00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,320
Speaker 1: They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,

40
00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,000
Speaker 1: but the Lord supported me. He led me to a

41
00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,960
Speaker 1: place of safety. He rescued me because he delights in me.

42
00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,520
Speaker 1: The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He restored me

43
00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,880
Speaker 1: because of my innocence. For I have kept the ways

44
00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,920
Speaker 1: of the Lord. I have not turned from my God

45
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,760
Speaker 1: to follow evil. I have followed all his regulations. I

46
00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:19,519
Speaker 1: have never abandoned his decrees. I am blameless before God.

47
00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,720
Speaker 1: I have kept myself from sin. The Lord rewarded me

48
00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:29,280
Speaker 1: for doing right. He has seen my innocence. To the faithful,

49
00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:34,600
Speaker 1: you show yourself faithful to those with integrity, you show integrity.

50
00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,720
Speaker 1: To the pure, you show yourself pure. But to the crooked,

51
00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:44,000
Speaker 1: you show yourself shrewd. You rescue the humble, but you

52
00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:48,320
Speaker 1: humiliate the proud. You light a lamp for me. The Lord,

53
00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,360
Speaker 1: my God, lights up my darkness. In your strength, I

54
00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,400
Speaker 1: can crush an army. With my God, I can scale

55
00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:01,880
Speaker 1: any wall. God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises

56
00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,600
Speaker 1: prove true. He is a shield for all who look

57
00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:10,040
Speaker 1: to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord,

58
00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:16,000
Speaker 1: who but our God is a solid rock. God arms

59
00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,960
Speaker 1: me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He

60
00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,320
Speaker 1: makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to

61
00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:27,359
Speaker 1: stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle.

62
00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,920
Speaker 1: He strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You

63
00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,320
Speaker 1: have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand

64
00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,479
Speaker 1: supports me. Your help has made me great. You have

65
00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,160
Speaker 1: made a wide path for my feet to keep them

66
00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:47,359
Speaker 1: from slipping. I chased my enemies and caught them. I

67
00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:51,080
Speaker 1: did not stop until they were conquered. I struck them

68
00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:53,880
Speaker 1: down so they could not get up. They fell beneath

69
00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:58,159
Speaker 1: my feet. You have armed me with strength for the battle.

70
00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,880
Speaker 1: You have subdued my enemies under my feet. You placed

71
00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,000
Speaker 1: my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who

72
00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,320
Speaker 1: hated me. They called for help, but no one came

73
00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,440
Speaker 1: to their rescue. They even cried to the Lord, but

74
00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,480
Speaker 1: he refused to answer. I ground them as fine as

75
00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,680
Speaker 1: dust in the wind. I swept them into the gutter

76
00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:25,080
Speaker 1: like dirt. You gave me victory over my accusers. You

77
00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,720
Speaker 1: appointed me ruler over nations. People I don't even know

78
00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:32,120
Speaker 1: now serve me. As soon as they hear of me,

79
00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:37,000
Speaker 1: they submit. Foreign nations cringe before me. They all lose

80
00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:42,720
Speaker 1: their courage and come trembling from their strongholds. The Lord lives.

81
00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,359
Speaker 1: Praise to my rock. May the God of my salvation

82
00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:51,360
Speaker 1: be exalted. He is the god who pays back those

83
00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:55,200
Speaker 1: who harm me. He subdues the nations under me and

84
00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:59,640
Speaker 1: rescues me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond

85
00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,839
Speaker 1: the rear each of my enemies. You save me from

86
00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:07,840
Speaker 1: violent opponents. For this, Oh Lord, I will praise you

87
00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,480
Speaker 1: among the nations. I will sing praises to your name.

88
00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:16,680
Speaker 1: You give great victories to your king. You show unfailing

89
00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:22,600
Speaker 1: love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.

90
00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:30,480
Speaker 1: Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and

91
00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:32,320
Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege of being able to

92
00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,800
Speaker 1: look at this portion of scripture today and to meditate

93
00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,359
Speaker 1: on its content. And Lord, we know that as we

94
00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,960
Speaker 1: look at this portion of scripture, we see David giving

95
00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,760
Speaker 1: you praise for the fact that you raised him up

96
00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,640
Speaker 1: as a king. And he recognized that he didn't deserve

97
00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:48,159
Speaker 1: all the ways that you were blessing him. He didn't

98
00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,960
Speaker 1: deserve the ways that you were protecting him. He didn't

99
00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,039
Speaker 1: deserve all the good things that you were bringing into

100
00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,760
Speaker 1: his life. But he was grateful for these things just

101
00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,160
Speaker 1: the same, and his confidence wasn't in his own strength,

102
00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,760
Speaker 1: his confidence in your power. And he recognized that with

103
00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,960
Speaker 1: the power that you supply, that he could do anything

104
00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,480
Speaker 1: that you called him to do. He did not need

105
00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,920
Speaker 1: to rely on his own natural strength. He could rely

106
00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,000
Speaker 1: on you. And you raised him up, and you gave

107
00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:16,920
Speaker 1: him the opportunity to serve as a king, and people

108
00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:21,080
Speaker 1: from all over submitted themselves to him. And Lord, we

109
00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,560
Speaker 1: know that this gives us a picture of what is

110
00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,280
Speaker 1: ultimately going to happen in regard to your son, Jesus Christ.

111
00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,680
Speaker 1: Every need is going to bow and every tongue is

112
00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:35,200
Speaker 1: going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the

113
00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,960
Speaker 1: glory of God the Father. Lord, we're grateful for the

114
00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,960
Speaker 1: reality that this will one day take place, and we're

115
00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,520
Speaker 1: likewise grateful for the fact that we can bow the

116
00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:49,240
Speaker 1: knee now and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. So, Lord,

117
00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:51,760
Speaker 1: we're grateful for your presence. We're grateful for your love.

118
00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,400
Speaker 1: We're grateful for the fact that you are with us

119
00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,920
Speaker 1: in all circumstances of life, and that through faith in

120
00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,280
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, your son, we have the privilege to be

121
00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,680
Speaker 1: forgiven to be granted new life, and to live for

122
00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,120
Speaker 1: all time in your presence, knowing that we are deeply

123
00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,080
Speaker 1: loved by you. We're grateful for all of these things,

124
00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,320
Speaker 1: and we commit this day to your care and pray

125
00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,560
Speaker 1: this all in Jesus' name. Amen,