Wednesday 30 January 2008

Background

What is your first instinct when, like David here, you are indistress or face opposition? Do you cry out to God or try to solvethe problem yourself? Perhaps you rely on your family or friends topull you through?

This first half of Psalm 18 uses dramatic, vivid language todescribe God's rescue of David from his dire circumstances. Thebattlefield has become a cosmic battleground for the forces of goodand evil. David is not just opposed by his enemies; he has becomeentangled in the very cords of death and Sheol (the place of thedead) itself. God hears David's cries from his heavenly temple faraway and launches into action.

The earth shakes with God's anger at the mistreatment of hisservant David and God is described like a great and terrifyingdragon, with smoke streaming from his nostrils and flames shootingfrom his mouth.

This image of God is perhaps not so popular today - it's much nicerto think of a friendly, soft and gentle God. Someone to pat you onthe head and tell you you're doing a good job. Someone to give youa cuddle after a hard day. A nice old bloke sitting on a cloudwearing sandals, maybe. And there's nothing wrong with that, butperhaps it only gives us part of the picture.

What about the God of power who flung stars into space and brokehis people out of the slavery of Egypt? Perhaps sometimes we needto be reminded of the awesome and scary side of God - that when wepray, we're speaking to the creator and redeemer of the universeand that God works to God's own agenda and not necessarilyours.

To Ponder

When things are going badly for you, do yousometimes feel that cosmic forces are at work dragging you down, orhelping you out?

If this is how David's God feels about David'spersecution, how do you think God feels about the injustices oftoday's world?

What do you think it means to 'fear' God? Doesthis change the way you think about and relate to God?