God, Power, and Might

Psalm 18:1-20

I should have posted this yesterday, but I fell asleep while putting the baby to bed. Oops.

This Psalm sums up my childhood faith: God, I believe in you, and you will fly in like Superman to rescue me when I call. As an adult, I can tell you there have been times I've called for God and heard nary a whisper, forget about smoke, fire, and riding on cherubs. And I won't lie--that abandoned feeling led me to stop calling on God for many years.

At different times in my life, I have wanted the God of Victory described by the Psalmist. I've wanted someone who will swoop in, conquer my enemies, and put fear into the hearts of those who persecute me. Some days I still want that. But I've yet to see that God.

Eventually, after getting over my disappointment at the distinct lack of Cherubs in my life, I came to realize that perhaps the quiet God, the God of Jesus, was just as mighty and powerful--perhaps even more so--even with the distinct lack of smoke, fire, and Cherub transportation. That perhaps it isn't a question of vanquishing my enemies by force, but approaching them in a spirit of love and understanding. These things are much less dramatic, but perhaps even more powerful than the mighty God described by the Psalmist.