Love For God

by Pastor Mark
September 18, 2026

 

A declaration of love for God

Our relationship with God should be based on love. We ought to have a personal love for the Lord. Yet, we can lose this sense of love when we face life’s difficult challenges, and relating to God may no longer bring the same joy and thrill.

David sought to keep his love for the Lord alive even while facing life-threatening circumstances. He declared his deep love for the Lord: “I will love You, O Lord, my strength” (Psalm 18:1). As David reflected on God and all that He had done for him, he expressed his love for Him, who was his strength. How was David able to maintain such love for God?

The reasons for David’s love for God

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2–3)

1. A strong expression of gratitude

  1. At the beginning of this Psalm, David referred to the Lord as “my strength” twice.
  2. God provided him with inner strength.
  3. There were times when he felt very weak and did not experience the Lord as his strength (Psalm 6:6).
  4. Yet, David learnt to find strength in the Lord amid his weakness.
  5. This strength came through the grace and mercy of the Lord.
  6. David cried out to the Lord and He gave him strength.
  7. He experienced the Lord’s strength and sought to express his gratitude in his love for Him.

2. A personal and deep appreciation of God

David used several images to describe the Lord:

  1. My rock…God was David’s rock. A rock is a natural refuge and hiding place that provides complete protection. Through times of great difficulty, God sheltered David from his enemies.
  2. My fortress…A fortress is a well-fortified structure and a place of defence. God provided David with safety and defended him against his enemies.
  3. My deliverer…God was David’s Redeemer and Saviour. In His mercy, the Lord often delivered and saved David from all harm (Psalm 6:4).
  4. My shield…A shield represents protection and is a strong defence. God protected and defended David from his enemies. This image complements the other images of protection – rock, fortress and stronghold – and reflects David’s growing understanding of God.
  5. The horn of my salvation…The horn is a symbol of power. The Lord displayed His power by saving and delivering David from his enemies.
  6. My stronghold…A stronghold is a high place of refuge and protection. God was David’s personal stronghold, providing security and safety from enemies such as Saul.

As we can see, David had many reasons to love the Lord. He had a personal and clear theological understanding of God. These truths were real to him because he had experienced them personally. God was precious to him. May we be challenged to deepen our appreciation of God and to love Him dearly with both heart and mind!

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