“Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.” Psalm 18:35
The note at the top of this Psalm says it was written by David after he had finally been delivered from the hands of Saul and his enemies. Even though he knew that God had chosen him to be the king of Israel, he had spent many months fleeing from King Saul, who desired to destroy him. There had been times when he could have defeated Saul, and even taken his life, but David was willing to wait for God’s timing to take his rightful place.
In this Psalm, he thanks God for all the times that he had been protected and blessed. In Verse 19 he says, “He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.” His confidence was in the Lord alone, and he knew that nothing could happen to him that was not in God’s plan. God had been with him all the time, helping him to maintain his integrity in the face of all he was going through.
In verse 35, he says that the gentleness of God had made him great. Because of his victory over Goliath, he had been praised and exalted. Many men followed him because of his victories in battle. Women sang his praises in the street, exalting him even above King Saul. But all these things were not important in David’s life. His only desire was to please God and he knew that when the time was right, God would fulfill His plan. David was destined to be king, and nothing would prevent that.
I came across this quote (source unknown) “Deep in your coded instructions, your Creator has placed a very special job that only you can do…You are patented and copyrighted in Heaven.”
Every one of us has been destined for a job that only we can do. We may never receive the praise of men, our work may be behind the scenes and never be made public, but if we allow the Lord to work on us, gentle our Spirit, we will fulfill the task that he has for us. We won’t achieve greatness here on earth, but great will be our reward in heaven.
Prayer: Jesus, you have called us to be your children, you have a job for us to do, help us to let your gentle Spirit work on our live, making us what you want us to be.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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