God Delights in You
For the last month I have been battling through a severe depression. Depression is hard to describe to someone if you’ve never experienced it. You may just think of an intense sadness, which can be the case; however, it is so much more than that. The best way I think I have described it is to say that it is a heavy darkness that engulfs and consumes you. The darkness is a bully, hiding around every corner, waiting to spring on you, and when it does, it’s quite unbearable. It drains the life out of you and everything around you, turning vibrant colors to muted grays and blacks. It sucks the breath out of your lungs to where the only momentary repreive is lying in bed. It entangles you in despair where it seems like there is no hope and no other reality in which you will experience joy ever again.
So far the last month, words have barely escaped my lips let alone been able to write them down. And yet God is faithful. Thankfully, the darkness doesn’t reign in God’s kingdom of light. Through his mercies in a number of ways the darkness is lifting. I was so encouraged this morning by my time in God’s word that I wanted to share it with you today.
Psalm 18 is a Thankgiving Psalm, written by King David, after his deliverance from the pursuit of Saul. Saul pursued David in the wilderness for years attempting to kill him, so that he could remain king. I imagine it seemed that David wrestled with the darkness in this season of his life. Let’s look together at the first 19 verses:
Psalm 18
1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
so I shall be saved from my enemies.4 The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of perdition assailed me;
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.6 In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.7 Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and reeled because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering around him,
his canopy thick clouds dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him
there broke through his clouds
hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice.[a]
14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.16 He reached down from on high; he took me;
he drew me out of mighty waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a broad place;
he delivered me because he delighted in me.
David thanks the Lord for being his refuge in a time where it felt like he was living in hell on earth. God moved in power to deliver David from this time in his life. My favorite part is verse 19; the Lord brought David to a broad place simply because he delighted in him.
Our battle is different from David’s, and your battle is likely different than mine, and yet we can be encouraged that God is faithful. In the midst of the darkness there is a glimmer of hope that when God is our hiding place that darkness doesn’t get the final say. The light will overcome and because of God’s hesed, his steadfast love and kindness, he will deliver us from our battles because he delights in us. I hope this blesses you this morning as it blessed me.
