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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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Psalm 18:33
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.
Psalm 18 was sung by David after God had rescued him from all his enemies, and in particular King Saul.
“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; My God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge” (18:1-2).
These verses reveal that David was often at the end of his own strength during the time that he was a fugitive on the run. David was a real person, with just the same needs, emotions, struggles and trials as the rest of us. Probably more, as he was in acute danger of his life week in week out, month in month out, year in year out. Saul not only came after David on his own, he also brought out his army and sent out spies and scouts. The tragedy and injustice were that David had done nothing wrong. It was all because of Saul’s envious and jealous heart.
Even in his song to the Lord, David, like Job, professes his integrity and his righteousness. Indeed, David went further and acknowledged that all his ‘problems’ had come not from God but from his enemies, and that he could rejoice because God had won the victory for him. He maintained that God was faithful to the faithful and blameless to the blameless.
“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands, He has rewarded me” (v 20). David stood pure, not only before Saul and his enemies, but also before God. He had nothing to hide. In all his distress, at no time had he violated his integrity before God nor had he evidently let himself down. Remember, this was during the time prior to Bathsheba and prior to his reign as king. David was innocent then.
One of the biggest challenges for us is to maintain our integrity and keep our own conscience clean. We may appear upright before others but our conscience can still condemn us. The only solution for us is confession and repentance before God, which wipes the slate clean and enables us to start all over again. It is the only solution to a tarnished or grieved conscience.
The verse before us today reveals other issues as well. David had a way with words and a very descriptive ability but most often he wrote from experience.
Here, David expresses his sheer delight - that through all his struggles, God had made him rise above the circumstances - like a deer on the heights. He had literally ‘been there’.
Go to the barren wilderness of Judea, to the west of the Dead Sea, and look up to the crags and peaks, which seem to track the sky. You may even catch the sight of a wild goat or deer if you are lucky. That was where David lived. He knew what he was talking about.
But we can do the same. With God on our side, if we maintain our integrity, He will cause us to rise above our struggles and challenges and breathe clean fresh victorious air.
Yes, it may look scary from where you are now, but He will give you the sure feet to run and to be completely at peace up there. Climb up in His strength and then - Go, leap higher, and take a few deep breaths of invigorating air.
Go on - try it.
Remember - He is the Rock beneath your feet.
(See also Habakkuk 3:19 - It’s a ‘Ring of Truth’!)
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