“I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:1–2, NKJV)

Psalm 18 is a love song—not between a man and a woman, but between a man and his God. David loved the LORD because in every situation, no matter how frightening, God delivered him. When David faced the giant Goliath, when he was hunted like a fox by King Saul, when he was pursued by the Philistines, when even his own men talked of killing him—in all these things God had proved to be David’s deliverer.

David also discovered that the LORD was his strength. He could bend a bow of bronze (Psalm 18:34); he strengthened himself in the LORD (1 Samuel 30:6). When David felt weak, and Joab and Joab’s brother were too strong for him (2 Samuel 3:39), David found strength in the LORD’s righteousness.

The LORD was David’s rock. When there seemed to be no firm footing and David was afraid, he knew he could rely on God to make his steps firm and to show him the way.

Finally, David depended upon God to be his shield from the enemy. Since the LORD was before him, David knew that he was safe. Do you depend on the LORD to be your shield? Paul tells us that if we take up the shield of faith, then we will quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one (Ephesians 6:16).

There were so many more attributes of God to sing about, David was just getting warmed up! But he gives us a good pattern to follow. When we are anxious, afraid or depressed, we can find strength in the LORD.

Recently in a worship service we sang a song that has the lyric, “You’ve never failed me yet,” and I thought to myself, “And you never will!” God is absolutely trustworthy; He will never fail us. As Paul said:

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13, NKJV)

We can grow in our love for God by merely recounting all the ways He has been faithful to us in the past. His past faithfulness demands our present trust…and our renewed love!