Psalm 18:1-3

1 I love you Lord you are my strength. 2The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

David starts out with his heart response to who God is not his response to his circumstances because God never changes. God is still the same regardless of the shifting winds of trouble that shape the dunes of our desert experiences. God’s love for you knows no bounds, He wants to fill your life with blessings and watch over you as though you were the only person alive whom He loves. His every thought is good toward you and the blessing He pours out on us can’t be contained. Do you love God in the difficulties of life? David makes a statement of fact based on who God is not his own feelings, “I will trust” because David knew the source of his strength! Trust has to do with where we place our faith, who we run to and where we choose to dwell. When David was under attack from his enemies he referred to his trust in God in military terms, His trust was not in himself but in God’s:

• Foundation

Is God the rock on which you have built your life, when the storms of life pound away at your strength and the waves swamp your efforts, when everything you can do is washed away, what is left? If you dig down and remove the dirt what is the bedrock that your life is resting on?  In Matthew 7:24-27 we are introduced to two builders. The only difference between them was on what they chose to build on. Their success or failure had nothing to do with the buildings, the materials used, the effort put into the construction or the storm they experienced. What made the difference was their foundation. David said “the Lord is my rock” his foundation was anchored in a relationship with Jesus, based on fact not feelings. Trusting God is an activity, not just a nice set of beliefs, it must become lived out if it is to become a way of life. The “winds” of temptation and trial and the “winds” of false teaching can shatter our lives if we are not anchored to the rock. Is Jesus your foundation? Are you building on the shifting sand of self or the solid foundation of the Savior? What are you trusting in?

• Fortress

God is not only David’s foundation but also his fortress. A fortress represents not only protection but also power and provision. When we see God for who He really is we will run to the fortress. Too many of us try to do life alone wandering far from the fortress, trying to carry our spiritual provisions with us rationing them out so we can be away on extended missions alone. Instead, we need to do life with Him daily. We need to let God be God in our lives, then we will see His will fulfilled in and through us. Part of the fortress is the high tower, and God is a high tower that stands high above all that is. The Lord sits on His heavenly throne and because of the elevation of his thoughts and motives He knows every move. He looks into the depths of our souls, He is the watchmen on the watchtower wall and He sees the enemy that is coming. He knows what will cause us trouble, He sees the temptations before they are near us. He knows the answers to the problems before the problems even arise. Isn’t it wonderful that God can see the whole situation even before it develops? Because of that He knows the way through, He knows the way out. God’s viewpoint over our life is not obscured in the dust of this world, He sees the whole picture. He doesn’t just have a good vantage point when it comes to our lives, He has an eternal view point. A fortress is also a place of safety and it is a wonderful thing to know that God is the safety of our life. God protects us from the enemy and He wants to give us a sense of security. We should be able to lay our head down at night and feel secure not because of what we can do, but because of who He is. The security of a fortress is in its walls and God has built walls of love all around us. God longs to defend us Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up;     the flames will not consume you.” God is truly our all in all, He knows who we are, what we need, and how to defend our souls. Sometimes it seems that the enemy just might get the best of me, as I look around I see all of the effects of sin in the heart of man. I see the pain it causes and the problems it creates but then I see His power, His provision, His protection, and His peace. Do you truly trust Him? Is He your fortress of protection? Have you entered into the ark of God’s safety? Do you trust God enough to accept Him as He wraps his arms of love and mercy around you?