I Called To The Lord

I CALLED TO THE LORD

a prayer to open

My Lord, my God, show me your heart. Ground me in your presence.

Draw me near and hold me close.

David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,

and my place of safety.

He is my refuge, my savior,

the one who saves me from violence.

I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,

and he saved me from my enemies.

The waves of death overwhelmed me;

floods of destruction swept over me.

The grave wrapped its ropes around me;

death laid a trap in my path.

But in my distress I cried out to the LORD;

yes, I cried to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary;

my cry reached his ears.

Then the earth quaked and trembled.

The foundations of the heavens shook;

they quaked because of his anger. . . .

He opened the heavens and came down;

dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,

soaring on the wings of the wind.

He shrouded himself in darkness,

veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.

A great brightness shone around him,

and burning coals blazed forth.

The LORD thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded.

He shot arrows and scattered his enemies;

his lightning flashed, and they were confused.

Then at the command of the LORD,

at the blast of his breath,

the bottom of the sea could be seen,

and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

He reached down from heaven and rescued me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemies,

from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,

but the LORD supported me.

He led me to a place of safety;

he rescued me because he delights in me.

The LORD rewarded me for doing right;

he restored me because of my innocence.

For I have kept the ways of the LORD;

I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

I have followed all his regulations;

I have never abandoned his decrees.

I am blameless before God;

I have kept myself from sin.

The LORD rewarded me for doing right.

He has seen my innocence.

To the faithful you show yourself faithful;

to those with integrity you show integrity.

To the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

You rescue the humble,

but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.

O LORD, you are my lamp.

The LORD lights up my darkness.

In your strength I can crush an army;

with my God I can scale any wall.

God’s way is perfect.

All the LORD’s promises prove true.

He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

For who is God except the LORD?

Who but our God is a solid rock?

God is my strong fortress,

and he makes my way perfect.

He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

He trains my hands for battle;

he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

You have given me your shield of victory;

your help has made me great.

You have made a wide path for my feet

to keep them from slipping.”

These words come near the end of David’s life and represent his song of thanksgiving to the Lord. Nothing quite captures David’s approach to life as much as this statement: “I called on the LORD” (verse 4). Through his harrowing experiences as a shepherd, years on the run from Saul, betrayal, his own sinfulness and its consequences, and persecution and insult, David continually called on the Lord. And the Lord was David’s great deliverer, forgiver, and refuge—as he is ours.

• What promise in David’s song of thanksgiving do you need to remember and hold on to?
• In what area of life do you need to “call to the Lord” for deliverance, guidance, protection, provision, or repentance?
• If you wrote a song of thanksgiving to the Lord based on your life so far, what words would you use to describe God? What acts of deliverance would you include?

Father, you are the Great Deliverer. As I reflect on the events of my life—including times of joy and pain, confusion and clarity, the mountaintops and the valleys—I see that you have been present all along. You are my rock and refuge, my constant companion. As you did with David, you arm me with strength and keep my way secure. You make my feet like the feet of a deer and cause me to stand on the heights. You train my hands for battle and make your saving help my shield. You provide a broad path for my feet so my ankles do not give way. May I forever praise you. Amen.