The Lord Is......Everything

Psalm 18:1-2 NIV:
I love you, Lord , my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

You would wonder from the verses quoted above just who and what exactly God is.  So many attributes, so many descriptive superlatives. So many appreciative words. We read these words and we quote them back to God, claiming the promises contained in them. While that is the ideal way to go, have you ever wondered at the experiences, circumstances and inspiration that birthed the words in the passage above? Do we pause to read between the lines, seeking to understand where the writer is coming from, so we can learn from his life?
David was called 'a man after God's heart'. You would probably think he had it all swell and good throughout his entire life. Here was a young lad of 17 years, already familiar with death, fighting off lions and bears from his father's sheep, while his brothers were busy, albeit ineffectively,  in the king's court. Nothing births inspiration like solitude. Here was a young man, thrust into the limelight at a young age, yet constantly reminding us through his words that God is the ultimate and the most important factor in a man's life. Here he was, being pursued by the state as a wanted man by the king himself, yet he was humble enough to respect God's anointing in a man's life by refusing to kill the king in his sleep when he had both motive and oppourtunity, afterall, he was fighting for his life. Add to this a life of polygamy and its consequences, and you would wonder just how much of God this man really had time for.
Here was a man who became king on the strength of God's backing,yet had to kill one of his soldiers because he wanted to keep his adultery with her secret. So much innocent blood was shed as a consequence of this action that God could not bear to have him build a temple for him, but yet, God called him a man after his own heart. He enjoyed so much favour from God that even Saul didn't enjoy. He was punished severely for his wrongdoings, but David never lost his fear and reverence for God and he never stopped praising, worshipping,glorifying and extolling the virtues of God.
How maany virtues and attributes of God did David mention here? These were his personal dealings from God and they were things he could point to as God's ways of showing him his might, power and love.
Davod could call God these names because he had had a personal encounter on various levels with God on these attributes. What can you call God? What can you point to as milestones in your life that point to God's gracious dealings with you? Remember, it isn't so much about what you can do to deserve God's mercy; it is about how much of God's grace you realise is available for you. David was not the best of men, but that didn't matter to God. He wasn't looking for perfect men to love, he was looking for men who he could love into perfection. He wasn't looking for self-righteous, pompous men, who probably think they deserve the mercy of God, but for repentant sinners he could impart his righteousness into.
Don't ever think you could stake a claim to God's grace and goodies on your own terms. You aren't good enough by your own standards, but you are just perfect for God's grace and mercy.
He seeks to show himself strong in your life. He seeks to bring all his words to pass in your life. Let him have his way, let him prove himself mighty as I walk with him, allowing him to use my life as a spectacle for the world to see. His time of favour is here.