With God…..

Psalm 18:1–2, 29 (NIV)- "I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."

Psalm 18 is more than a song; it's David's testimony—a deep, personal reflection after years of battles, betrayal, and brokenness. The inscription reminds us this song came from a place of lived experience. David had been delivered "from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." The man who once fled for his life, hid in caves, and wept bitterly over losses, now lifts his voice in praise.

David’s life was marked by challenge after challenge:

• He faced the fearsome giant Goliath as a young shepherd, armed not with sword or shield, but with faith.
• He endured the jealousy and rage of King Saul, who relentlessly pursued him, forcing him into hiding though David had done nothing wrong.
• He suffered betrayal by those close to him, including his own son Absalom.
• He knew the pain of personal failure, such as the grievous sin with Bathsheba.
• He experienced devastation at Ziglag, where his family and the families of his men were taken and their city burned.

Yet in every season, David had a response: he turned to God.

In the cave of Adullam, he strengthened himself in the Lord. When surrounded by enemies, he sought God’s counsel. When devastated by loss, he wept, but then he worshipped. David’s strength wasn't in his might or strategy—it was in his reliance on the Lord.

So when we come to verses 1 and 2, we hear a voice that’s not just poetic, but proven. David calls the Lord:

• My Strength – because he knew his own strength failed.
• My Rock – because everything else had shifted.
• My Fortress – because he had been on the run.
• My Deliverer – because only God could bring him out.
• My Shield, Horn of Salvation, Stronghold – because time and again, God had preserved his life.

And then in verse 29, David declares: "With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.

"What an incredible declaration of confidence—not in self, but in God!

This is the power of a life that has walked with God through the fire. David had seen what God can do. 

Many of us, in one way or another, have walked paths not unlike David’s—marked by fear, betrayal, loss, and seasons of waiting. From a human standpoint, these trials can feel overwhelming, even unbearable. Yet we must remember this powerful truth: the same God who upheld David is our God too. The One who sustained him through valleys and battles, who lifted him from obscurity to kingship, is faithful still. If David could place unwavering trust in God through every storm, then by that same grace, so can we.

Reflection

• Are you facing your own Goliath today?
• Are you in a season of opposition, like David under Saul?
• Are you betrayed by your own people?
• Have people stabbed behind your back?
• Have you known personal failure or devastating loss?

Take heart. David’s story reminds us that God is faithful in every battle. And when we walk with Him, we too can say:

"With my God, I can..."

Fill in the blank: I can stand. I can overcome. I can heal. I can forgive. I can rebuild. I can go again.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for being our strength when we are weak, our refuge when we are pursued, and our victory in the face of defeat. Teach us to rely on You just as David did, and let our testimony one day be like his—full of praise, because You delivered us through every trial. In Jesus’ name, Amen.