The LORD lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
Sing Psalm 18.46-48.
(St. Theodulph: All Glory, Laud, and Honor)
You live, our Rock, our Savior, exalted by our God!
Upon Your foes with vengeance Your holy feet have trod.
Delivered from Your enemies and lifted high above,
we rescued and redeemed are by Your eternal love.
Read Psalm 18.46-50; meditate on verse 46.
Preparation
1. What all did David say about the LORD?
2. How did he respond to this?
Meditation
The high-water mark of Psalm 18 is verse 46: “The LORD lives!” And because David knew this, he could only respond with praise, thanksgiving, a recitation of God’s mighty works, a celebration of His mercy, and a glance (and implied prayer) for the future.
Throughout the second part of Psalm 18 (vv. 20-50), David rehearsed the favor of the LORD toward him, how God rewarded his faithfulness, taught him His Word, kept him (at last!) free from sin, and would guide and strengthen him for his remaining days. This is a good discipline, friends, and one we do not engage as often as we should. For the more specific we are in praising God and rehearsing His good works toward us, the more real and close and thrilling and transforming will be our knowledge that He really lives.
Jesus and the Father have sent the Holy Spirit to live within us. The Spirit filled David during much of His life, but He was not given to indwell him permanently. Nevertheless, David knew His Presence, knew that God lives and blesses and keeps those who trust in Him, and knew that He would be the same for the generations to come.
“Jesus lives, and so shall I!” So goes an old hymn we rarely sing, but which captures a great measure of the truth of what His resurrection and reign mean for us. The Lord Jesus lives, and so shall we—forever and ever, hallelujah!
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.
“The LORD lives!” (Ps. 18.46)
“I AM He Who lives,
and was dead, and behold,
I AM alive forevermore.
Amen.
And I have the keys
of Hades and of Death” (Rev. 1.18).
“I AM the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in Me,
though he may die,
he shall live.
And whoever lives and believes in Me
shall never die.
Do you believe this?” (Jn. 11.25, 26).
O Yes! “Lord, I believe that
You are the Christ,
The Son of God,
Who is to come into the world” (Jn. 11.27).
Jesus lives and so shall I.
Death! Thy sting is gone forever,
He who deigned for me to die,
Lives the bands of death to sever.
He shall raise me with the just;
Jesus is my Hope and Trust.
Jesus lives, I know full well,
Naught from Him my heart can sever,
Life nor death nor powers of hell,
Joy nor grief henceforth forever.
None of all His saints is lost;
Jesus is my Hope and Trust.
(Christian F. Gellert, 1757)
Reflection
1. Do you think people today understand that Jesus is really alive from the dead? How are they supposed to know that?
2. How is it apparent in your life that Jesus lives in you?
3. Whom will you encourage today with the message that Jesus lives?
If we belong to him, he conquers and reigns for us, and we shall conquer and reign through him, and partake of the mercy of our anointed King, which is promised to all his seed for evermore. Amen. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Psalm 18.26-50
Pray Psalm 18.49, 50.
Give praise to Jesus Who lives and reigns forever, and give Him abundant thanks for saving you and providing mercy and grace for all your daily needs.
Sing Psalm 18.49, 50.
(St. Theodulph: All Glory, Laud, and Honor)
Let nations rise and praise You, and give You thanks, O LORD!
Deliv’rance, grace, and favor You grant us by Your Word.
Bestow Your lovingkindness upon us as before,
and bless and keep Your people henceforth and evermore.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
For more teaching about the subject of this series, “Jesus throughout the Scriptures”, download our free ReVision study, “We Would See Jesus”, by clicking here.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
