He reached down from heaven and rescued me
Psalm 18:16-36
View commentary related to this passage
16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. 18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. 19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. 20 The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. 22 I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. 23 I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. 24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. 26 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile. 27 You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. 28 You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. 29 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
30 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. 31 For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? 32 God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. 33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. 34 He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. 35 You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. 36 You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.
New Living Translation (NLT)
How powerful is the Word of God when brought into contact with one's life?
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12.
What was Peter constrained to say about Christ's words?
"Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." John 6:68.
What did Jesus declare regarding His Father's commandment?
"And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." John 12:50.
What great truth did God wish to teach us, when He gave the daily manna to feed the children of Israel?
"And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." Deuteronomy 8:3.
What happens when we feed upon the true, heavenly manna?
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts." Jeremiah 15:16.
What reference did Jesus make to this same life-giving manna?
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4.
How did God's will for Christ's life become His food?
"Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." John 4:34.
What name is given to Jesus, since He was the Revealer of God's thought to mankind?
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." John 1:1.
"And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." Revelation 19:13.
What did this Word become?
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14.
What was in this Word that we so much need?
"In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." John 1:4.
What is Jesus therefore also called?
'"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life." 1 John 1:1.
What did Jesus declare Himself to be?
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." John 6:35.
What did He say would be given to those that partook of this God-given bread?
"As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." John 6:57,58.
What did Jesus really mean when He said that we should eat His flesh?
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63.
What is it that God will let us taste right now?
"And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come." Hebrews 6:5. (See Jeremiah 15:16.)
Tasting it, what do we learn?
"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." Psalm 34:8.
Does God want us to ask for this Bread daily?
"Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11.
View commentary related to this passage
16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. 18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. 19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. 20 The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. 22 I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. 23 I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. 24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. 26 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile. 27 You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. 28 You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. 29 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
30 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. 31 For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? 32 God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. 33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. 34 He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. 35 You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. 36 You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.
New Living Translation (NLT)
How powerful is the Word of God when brought into contact with one's life?
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12.
What was Peter constrained to say about Christ's words?
"Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." John 6:68.
What did Jesus declare regarding His Father's commandment?
"And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." John 12:50.
What great truth did God wish to teach us, when He gave the daily manna to feed the children of Israel?
"And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live." Deuteronomy 8:3.
What happens when we feed upon the true, heavenly manna?
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts." Jeremiah 15:16.
What reference did Jesus make to this same life-giving manna?
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4.
How did God's will for Christ's life become His food?
"Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." John 4:34.
What name is given to Jesus, since He was the Revealer of God's thought to mankind?
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." John 1:1.
"And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." Revelation 19:13.
What did this Word become?
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14.
What was in this Word that we so much need?
"In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." John 1:4.
What is Jesus therefore also called?
'"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life." 1 John 1:1.
What did Jesus declare Himself to be?
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." John 6:35.
What did He say would be given to those that partook of this God-given bread?
"As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." John 6:57,58.
What did Jesus really mean when He said that we should eat His flesh?
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63.
What is it that God will let us taste right now?
"And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come." Hebrews 6:5. (See Jeremiah 15:16.)
Tasting it, what do we learn?
"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." Psalm 34:8.
Does God want us to ask for this Bread daily?
"Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11.
posted by Michael A. Redwine at Sunday, January 21, 2007
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