Psalm 18:1-19

Thanksgiving for Deliverance

18¹ I love you, O Lord, my strength. ² The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ³ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. ⁴ The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;[1] ⁵ the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. ⁶ In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. ⁷ Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. ⁸ Smoke went up from his nostrils,[2] and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. ⁹ He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. ¹⁰ He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. ¹¹ He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. ¹² Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. ¹³ The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. ¹⁴ And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. ¹⁵ Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. ¹⁶ He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. ¹⁷ He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. ¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. ¹⁹ He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.