Does God respond to our prayer for help? Does he care about the struggles in life we face? We get an answer to those questions in Psalm 18.
When Facing Difficulties
The cords of death entangled me;
Psalm 18:4-5 NIV
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
David faced many enemies in his life, including King Saul. Saul pursued him relentlessly, seeking his life. And there were times when his capture and death must have seemed imminent.
You likely do not face the same type of enemy that David did. But you could be overwhelmed by the circumstances you find yourself in and see no way out.
Call Out to God
In my distress I called to the LORD;
Psalm 18:6 NIV
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
But David did not despair and give up. Instead, he cried out to God. He told God about the trouble he was in and sought his help.
And God heard David. His cry reached up to the heavenly temple, where God was enthroned. And God took a personal interest in his prayer.
It is not just folks like David that God listens to. He hears all of us who have entrusted our lives to his keeping. Cry out to him in your distress. He is a God who hears.
He Will Respond
He parted the heavens and came down;
Psalm 18:9-10 NIV
dark clouds were under his feet.
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
God did not put David off or ignore his cry for help. Instead, he mounted his fastest steed, a cherubim, and flew to David’s assistance. The language used here is highly picturesque, but it illustrates how important we are to God and what he will do to help us.
And Rescue You
He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
Psalm 18:16-17 NIV
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
As David felt overwhelmed by his enemies, God reached down to rescue him. Like pulling a drowning man from a storm.
Do you find yourself going through a challenging time? And wondering if God cares about what you are going through? This psalm assures us that God does care about his people–his loved ones.
He may not make all our problems disappear. But we do not have to walk through them alone. Cry out to God. God will hear and respond to your prayer. And he will mount his cherubim and come to your aid, lifting you out of deep water.
