Deep Waters

Psalm 18:16-19
16He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
18They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the Lord supported me.
19He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
                         
                          Who of us has not said or at least heard it said, “I’m just trying to keep my head above water,” which usually means we ourselves or someone else we know is experiencing the “heaviness of life” that at times inevitably comes bearing down on us. It’s in these times, seasons, or circumstances when we may feel as if we can’t catch our breath, or if one more thing piles on we’re simply going to proverbially drowned in our circumstances with no hope of survival. This such occasion is where we find the Psalmist David in the early verses of Chapter 18 where he so vividly depicts his desperate situation, “The cords of death have entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.” (vv.5-6) David is describing circumstances in his life where he finds himself in the “depths of distress,” where his enemies were powerful and too strong for him. Our enemies take many shapes and forms – physical, emotional, mental, and certainly spiritual as we see our greatest adversary in our enemy, the devil. He seeks to discourage, confuse, and disillusion us to the truth and promises of God to carry us through any situation, trouble, or season of trial.

                          “Deep Water” seasons of our lives can find us experiencing such kinds of distress even to the point of feeling utter hopelessness and powerlessness, yet David says there is hope in the Lord our God to rescue us out of our circumstances. He writes, “He (The Lord) reached down from heaven and rescued me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies…The Lord supported me. He led me to a place of safety; He rescued me because he delights in me.” (vv.16-19) An underlying point of emphasis we see here in David’s writing is the Lord does not delight in our distress, but rather delights (to take great pleasure in someone or something) in us. However, this promise can become easily overshadowed in the midst of struggling with the Deep Waters of depression, anxiety, or the Heaviness of Life – in return, the most precious commodity we possess becomes the very breathe of life by which the Lord restores hope to our weary soul. We must hold onto the truth and promises that God is with us in the “Deep Water” seasons of life, and His delight is to deliver us for our ultimate good for His glory and purposes. Regardless of how difficult our circumstances may become, we like David, must trust that the Lord, “will lead us to a place of safety.”

Connecting Life & Faith:
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                          Father, I thank You this morning that it is Your delight to meet us in the heaviness of life, when we feel as if we’re drowning in Deep Waters, and to rescue us in our time of distress. Thank you for the promise to lead us out of the path of our enemies and into places of safety, for You are our place of refuge. Lord, You are faithful to reach down into the circumstances of our lives as we choose to surrender to You, allowing You to meet us in our time of need. Thank You, that we need not fear the deep waters of life, because even there You are with us. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.