The Lord Who Makes Me First in the World

[Psalm 18:43-50]

During our life in this world, there are many kinds of trials in our lives. It is truly a world with many things that are hard to endure, that bring tears, and that distress the heart. Because of these things, many people have fallen into despair and given up. Among those many people are we Christians as well.
How then should we think about trials?
The British Romantic poet Byron said this about trials: "Trials are the supreme way to the truth" (Internet).
This supreme way to truth called trial... However, we do not like this "supreme way." So, we try to avoid that path. No one wants to row out into the deep sea when they see "the great ocean waves." The reason is because we cannot fathom “the deep sea whose bottom is unknown” (Hymn 408).
There is an English proverb that says: "A good sailor is not made on a calm sea."
No one has succeeded without trials.
Likewise, we believers can never become mature disciples in a calm world without trials.
Therefore, we must not avoid the supreme way called trial. We must walk that path with a thankful heart and with faith.
In today’s Scripture, Psalm 18:43-50, we encounter the Lord who makes us first in the world.
Especially in verses 43 and 48, it says, “You have made me the head of the nations” and “You have lifted me above those who rise against me.”
Our God is the Lord who makes us first in the world.
How does the Lord make us first in the world? In the first half of verse 46, it says: “The LORD lives...”
That is, God makes us first in the world by manifesting His living presence in our lives.
Then, I want to meditate on three specific ways our Lord manifests His living presence in our lives.

First, the Lord makes me first in the world because He rescues me.

Please look at today’s text, Psalm 18:43 and 48:
“You have delivered me from the contention of the people...” (v. 43),
“You rescued me from my enemies; You exalted me above those who rose against me; You delivered me from violent men” (v. 48).

From where did the Lord deliver the psalmist David?
God delivered David “from the contention of the people” (v. 43), “from my enemies” (v. 48), and “from violent men” (v. 48), thus manifesting His living presence.
In other words, the Lord, who is the horn of salvation (v. 2), revealed His living presence by granting David the power of salvation.
Therefore, God made David the head of the nations (v. 43).

Just as the Israelites in the Exodus were trapped before the Red Sea on all sides, we come to thoroughly realize and acknowledge our inability to save ourselves.
At that time, we sincerely confess that the only Savior for us is Jesus.
When we acknowledge our absolute inability to save ourselves, we experience God’s power of salvation.

However, many times we seem to commit the sin of silence like the Israelites at Mount Carmel during Elijah’s time.
In the confrontation between the prophets of Baal and Asherah and Elijah, God’s prophet, Elijah said to the Israelites watching:
“How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, then follow him.” Yet the people said nothing (1 Kings 18:21).

Similarly, many times we do not follow God, our Savior, and remain cowardly silent.
The believer who recognizes and confesses that the God who delivers me is the only Savior shows the living presence of God.

Though the people of the world “cry out but there is no one to save” (Psalm 18:41), our Lord reveals His majesty and comes when we cry out, delivering us and manifesting that He is our true Savior.
Therefore, God exalts us as the head of the world.

Secondly, the Lord makes me first in the world “because He makes me abundant.”

The psalmist David enjoyed God’s abundant grace even amid persecution and adversity from enemies.
The God of David bestowed His abundant grace upon him and established him as the head of the nations.

God is with us in abundant grace and reveals His living presence even when we are in need.
Yet many times we see only our own poverty rather than feeling God’s abundant grace.
This is because of our “self-sufficiency.”

Those who truly long for God’s abundant grace even in poverty cry out to the Lord and hear the voice of the Lord saying, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9) with the ear of the spirit.
Such a person is not self-sufficient but God-sufficient.
And those who are God-sufficient confess, “Our adequacy is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).

Lastly, thirdly, the Lord makes me first in the world “because He makes me strong (powerful).”

Look at Psalm 18:45: "The nations cowered and came out trembling from their strongholds."
Though David’s enemies may have seemed strong when they attacked him, in the end, God was with His servant David with power.
Therefore, by making David strong (verses 32, 39), God weakened David’s enemies and caused them to fear David.

Our God is not only with His servant David but is still alive today and is the Almighty God who girds us with His power (verses 32, 39).
When we are weak because of our enemies, God is with us by His power.
Thus, through our weakness, He reveals His power, breaks down the strongholds of our enemies, and causes them to fear us.
Ultimately, our God strengthens us and causes us to be victorious.
Therefore, He is the God who makes us the foremost among the nations.

So, what should our response be to God’s grace that makes us the foremost in the world?

First, we should praise God and exalt Him.

Look at Psalm 18:46: "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!"
David, having experienced that God strengthened him, praised God and exalted His holy name.
God is the Almighty and just God who breaks down the strongholds of the people.
Therefore, God is the one who makes us strong.
God, who is our rock, sets us firmly on a solid rock and reveals His glory.
We should boast and exalt this God.

Second, we should give thanks to the Lord among the peoples.

Look at Psalm 18:49: "Therefore I will praise you among the nations, LORD; I will sing praises to your name."
After experiencing God’s work of enriching him and making him foremost among the nations, David gave thanks to God.
We too should give thanks to God like David.
We should thank God even for our own poverty.
And we should thank God for our weakness.
Because through it, we experience God’s abundance and power.
We must give thanks to God.

Lastly, thirdly, we should wait for the Lord’s second coming with the assurance of salvation and victory.

Look at Psalm 18:50: “The LORD gives great salvation to his king; he shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
Here, “the king” and “the anointed” refer to Jesus Christ, the descendant of David.
David longed for and awaited the coming of the Messiah, the Savior who is Almighty, full of grace and love — that is, the first coming of Christ.
We too, like David, should long for and wait for Jesus, who came the first time and granted us the grace of salvation, to come again.
In that waiting, we should have assurance not only of salvation but also of victory.

Let us once again reflect on the words of the British Romantic poet Byron: “Trials are the supreme path to truth.”
Even if no one wants to walk this supreme path, we believers must faithfully walk that path, relying on God’s saving grace, His abundant mercy, and His power.
Throughout our lives in this world, by the grace of God — who saves us, enriches us, and strengthens us, making us foremost among the nations — we should offer Him praise and thanks, exalt Him in our lives, and eagerly await the Lord’s return with the assurance of salvation and victory.

With a thankful heart for the grace of God who makes foolish, poor, and powerless people the foremost in the world,

Shared by Pastor James Kim
(Looking in faith to the God who saves me, enriches me, and strengthens me)