I am RESCUED and DELIGHTED IN

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King David begins Psalm 18 by confessing and identifying who the Lord is.

I love you, O Lord, my strength.

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.

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

~Psalm 18:1-3~

David is extremely bold and confident in his Lord.  He knows His character and His great love for His servant, David.  David is neither timid nor afraid to boast about His God.

And David is confident about who the Lord says he is.

Jumping down to verse 19, David reveals this:

He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

~Psalm 18:19~

Context is important.  Stick with me.

Often times David was on the run, hiding from his enemies - which included, but were not limited to King Saul (his father in-law), foreign enemies, trusted advisors, and even his own son.  He would often times seek shelter in a cave, which provided protection, but was dark and small - almost like a prison.

So when David says, "He brought me out into a broad place," he is saying, "The Lord has brought me out of a place of bondage and darkness and into a place of freedom and light"...that sounds a lot like language we use about ourselves and Jesus...

Matthew Poole's commentary says this:

He brought me forth out of my straits and difficulties, out of the little caves in which I was shut up and imprisoned.  Into a large place; into a state of freedom, and plenty, and comfort.

 Do you ever feel like the weight of the world is so heavy?  It's daunting to even think about.  It's paralyzing.  David was so afraid of his enemies that he hid in the darkness of a cave.  What are you hiding from?  Yourself?  Your sin?  Your spouse?  Your past?  Your dream?  Your failure?

Sometimes it's all just too much and so we seek refuge in the darkness and refuse to deal.  We shut the door, close the blinds, pull up the covers, and sink deeper and deeper into the pit of despair.

We are beyond hope.  We are too far in.  We cannot be rescued.  We do not deserve deliverance.

Did you catch all of that?

Because those are the very lies we hear.  Those are the lies we believe.  Those are the words we believe because they make sense.

But these are never the words our God whispers in our ears.

Read again what David writes next:

he rescued me, because he delighted in me

Take a deep breath and let these words fall on you and cover you.

You are RESCUED.

You are DELIGHTED IN.

Take comfort in these truths.  The Lord knows that you are never beyond hope.  You are never too far in.  You can be rescued.  You are worthy of His deliverance.  You are loved deeply.  We don't deserve any of this, but He delights in us, and freely offers us freedom in Him.

In Isaiah 62:4, the Lord says:

You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
    and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
    and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
    and your land shall be married. 

Chapter 62 goes on to say that the Lord rejoices in His people and that "they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord (verses 5 and 12).

In our dark, cold, hopeless caves, it may not seem like you are delighted in.  The shouts of the enemy drown out the tender whispers of the Lord.  But hold on tight to these truths.  And know you will be rescued BECAUSE He Delights in You.