Psalms 18:4

Psalms 18:4 says, The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.  David said he was surrounded by the ungodly.  We are not the first people of God to be surrounded by the ungodly, but God is still our protector as long as we 0ut our faith in Him.  Verse five adds, The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.  David continues to speak about his troubles, saying that he was in the midst of hell, and that there were snares all around him.  Though David was a great and powerful king, he often felt like he was going to be overcome by the wicked surrounding him, yet he looked to God for strength, and so should we if we feel that way.  Verse six continues, In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.  As already stated, in his distress David cried out to God and knew that God heard him.  It's not enough to just call out to God.  We must call out to God in faith, knowing that He will hear our cry.  Verse seven declares, Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.  David said God shook the earth because He was so angry about what was going on.  Not all natural disasters are God's judgment, but many throughout history have been.  Verse eight adds, There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.  David attempts to describe God's anger, but like David, we can never adequately do so.  Verse nine continues, He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.  David said that not only did God control the earth, but He controlled the heavens as well.  We either accept the fact that God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, or we do not accept God for Who He really is.  Verse ten states, And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. Verse eleven adds, He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.   God didn't send an angel, but came down Himself, even though He was hidden behind the clouds from the sight of the people.  We will not see God in all His glory in this lifetime, but He is still at work in the world.  Verse twelve adds, At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.  When God then chooses to reveal Himself, brightness overcomes the gloom.  Since God has revealed Himself to us as followers of Christ, we should live in brightness and not gloom.  Verse thirteen continues, The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.  David said that God spoke in heaven and the earth was shaken with hail stones and coals of fire.  God always has and always will have it in His power to destroy the heavens and the earth, which are His creation to start with.  Verse fourteen declares, Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.  Verse fifteen adds, Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.  David continues to speak about God's complete control over His creation.  As followers of Christ, we serve God, Who has complete control of the universe.  We cannot make Him any less and still serve Him faithfully.   Verse sixteen continues, He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.  David said that God saved him from the destruction that God had sent, just as He saves us from the coming destruction of all evil if we put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse seventeen says, He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.  David gave God the credit for delivering him from his enemies who were too strong for David to defeat himself.  Our enemies may be too strong for us to defeat today, but they will never be too strong for God to defeat if we simply put our faith in Him. Verse eighteen adds, They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.  Verse eighteen concludes, He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.  David said his enemies prevented him from doing what he knew God wanted him to do by his own power, but that God delivered him from them.  Ir the world seems to overpower us today, all we need to do is look to God for deliverance.