David was “a man after God's own heart,” (1 Samuel 13: 14) not because he was perfect, or exceptionally intelligent or generous; but because he recognized and appreciated the true worth of Israel's God Jehovah and was not ashamed to testify to this knowledge in public. David was totally won over to Yahweh's side. His songs are a record of prayer and praise amidst the most trying circumstances. So enthusiastic was he about his Maker that he personally composed some 73 psalms! You can be certain that for the past 2500 years somewhere on earth a song by king David is sung every Sabbath day. David is the greatest song writer this world has ever seen. Let us study one of his songs.
| Psalm 18: | 1: “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.”
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| Verse: | 3: “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”
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| Verses: | 21: “For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God... 24: Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.” |
| Isaiah 59: | 16:“And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor...” |
| Verse: | 1: “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.”
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| Verse: | 3: “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” |
| Verses: | 4: “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5: The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.” |
| Verse: | 6: “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” |
| Verses: | 7: “Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. 8: There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 9: He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. 10: And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. 11: He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 12: At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. 13: The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. 14: Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. 15: Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. 16: He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. 17: He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 18: They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. 19: He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.” |
| Verses: | 20: “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 21: For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22: For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. 23: I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. 24: Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.” |
| Verses: | 25: “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; 26: With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. 27: For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. 28: For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. 29: For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.” |
Note: Success in prayer comes in direct proportion to
the supplicant's personal holiness. In other words, the more
holy, righteous and humble a person is, the more likely is he
to have prayers answered. (See Sermon Notes
sermon 256
and
sermon 257.)
Also note that the Most High reacts to
people according to this unchanging principle mentioned
in:
| Galatians 6: | 7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” |
| Strength and Perfection:
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| Psalm 18: | 32: “It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.”
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| Spiritual Stability and Honour:
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| Verse: | 33: “He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.”
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| Victorious in Battle:
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| Verses: | 34: “He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 35: Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. 36: Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. 37: I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. 38: I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. 39: For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. 40: Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. 41: They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. 42: Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.”
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| Peaceful Authority:
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| Verse: | 43: “Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.”
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| Divine Vengeance:
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| Verses: | 47: “It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. 48: He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.” |
| Hebrews 10: | 31: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” |
| Psalm 18: | 49: “Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. 50: Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.” |
| Verses: | 46: The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted... 49: Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. |
