Psalm 18: sacred words for strength

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Brian Waalla
By Brian Waalla
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Psalm 18 is one of the Psalms attributed to David who has incredible strength. The power of his words reaches the soul and the heart. It is not a psalm like the others, where he thanks for the graces he obtains, asks for protection from God or for which he punishes his adversaries.

This is a psalm where it shows that God is the reason for his very existence. Psalm 18 binds us to God in a divine way and is able to give us strength to ward off evil forces.

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The power of Psalm 18

Read the sacred words of Psalm 18 with great faith:

” 1 I love you, Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopyaround him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop[e];
with my God I can scale a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.

37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
I trampled them[f] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
44     foreigners cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.

46 The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
47 He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
48     who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.

50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.”

Psalm 18

Interpretation of Psalm 18

King David had a very close relationship with God. He dedicated his life to His praise, he loved God with all his might. He trusted the Lord at all times, even when everything was going wrong, he never lost faith. God delivered David from many of his enemies, but not without teaching him many lessons that further strengthened his belief in Him. Even when he was disappointed with God who had let him suffer, he repented and confessed his most sincere repentance, as is the noblest attitude that every human being, which is made of faults and virtues, may have.

David never failed to seek help from God, in the certainty that He would never abandon him. He knew that the Lord saves those who are humble in His presence and gives Him grace, but kills those who are haughty.

He realized that God does not give us solutions of kissed hands, he lights the lamp of wisdom within us, illuminates our soul with joy and removes all the darkness that redeems us. David realizes that God is not the one who removes evil, he is a companion of battle, and with us, with our faith and dedication, he bestows his graces.

Only after all trials has David realized (or rather reaffirmed himself) that there is no God but the Lord, that He is an impenetrable shield to all who seek refuge in him. And here comes the most important message of Psalm 18: Only God is able to perfect the way for us to be able to face, spiritually, the forces of evil. By trusting in God, there is no sin, darkness, or enemy that can stand and catch us. The wicked will suffer the pain they have caused us if we believe in God. And the righteous shall reign with Christ.

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