In the adult Sunday school class, we have recently heard how the Lord loves to use personal testimonies of His power to change lives. One of the requirements for such a testimony is that God gets all the praise and glory.
In II Samuel 22 (also, repeated in Psalm 18), David, near the end of his life, meets this requirement. He looks back on his life and takes time to “brag” on the Lord. I would encourage you to read this chapter for yourself. I will share some of the highlights here.
Verses 2-4 set the tone for this chapter:
And he said: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.”
He goes on from there to describe the seemingly impossible situations in which he found himself (vv. 5-6). None of these were too hard for the Lord. He continues to brag:
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple and my cry entered His ears. (verse 7)
He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. (vv. 17-20)
For You are my lamp, O LORD; The LORD shall enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places. (vv. 29-34)
He concludes his list of God’s wondrous acts of power and deliverance by giving thanks and singing praise, and adds a final set of praises.
Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name. He is the tower of salvation to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore. (vv. 50-51)
May we follow this example, because the Lord says, Whoever offers praise glorifies Me. (Psalm 50:23a)