Mar. 9: God's Proven Word

King David of Israel often expressed himself in poetry and song. We have the lyrics to many of his songs preserved in an ancient text, The Hebrew Hymnal, or as it is usually known in Christian circles, The Book of Psalms in the Bible. Before he became King, David was King Saul's most valiant warrior and the target of the King's envy and murderous rage. Repeatedly God delivered David and protected him from his adversary.

Psalm 18 is one of my favorites. It is one of David's songs of praise and thanksgiving; "He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of 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. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.
Psalms 18:1-3 (NIV)

He continues down in verse 30...
"As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."

I love that promise that God is a shield for everyone who takes refuge in Him. When the heat is turned up in life people look for refuge in many places, but only one really protects, only One really is a place of safety--we run for cover to God, who is our shield!

I also like the part where it says God's word is proven. Reminds me of when David was younger, perhaps a teenager, and was going out to fight the giant named Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17). King Saul wanted David to use the King’s armor when he went out to fight Goliath. Saul put an oversized bronze helmet on David's head, covered him with a coat of armor, and belted the king's sword around his waist. Saul was tall, he stood head and shoulders above all the other men. David no doubt was swallowed up in the outfit.

David the shepherd, who was an expert marksman with a sling, knew he would be a sitting duck in the King's armor and very diplomatically declined, saying, "I cannot fight in these because I have not proven them."

Aside from the fact that they didn't fit him, these articles had not passed the test in practice, how could he be sure of how they would react in a real battle? His sling, on the other hand, was familiar and tried. He had no doubt spent hours in target-practice, maybe even learning to hit a target while running in nearly full stride.

That's the picture. In Psalm 18:30 when is says, "the word of the Lord is proven", it means it is familiar and has been tested with daily practice, so it is trusted when the giant-sized battle is the order for the day. God's word not only encourages us and instructs us through the daily ups and downs of life, but we can trust it for the once-in-lifetime kinds of battles because it has been tested and proven to be reliable.

God speaks the truth...always. His word is reliable and trustworthy. As we read the written word of God we know His thoughts, His heart. John's gospel begins by telling us, "the Word (of God) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His (Jesus') glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) Jesus, the Living Word, shows us what God is really like.

Spend time in the written Word and with the Living Word, test their wisdom in the daily stuff of life, and find them proven when it's time to face your giants. "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to everyone who takes refuge in Him."

~ Father, help me to live in Your word; to see it get me through the daily struggles and prove itself to be truth in the big battles of life. Thank you for Your written Word and the Living Word; help me to find life in both. Amen.