Day 157
Psalm 18:1
" I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. "
In Psalm 18:1, the declaration of David, the psalmist, was an intelligent one. He was not just saying he would love God who was his strength, and on whom he was taught to depend. He knew the Lord to be his strength by experience.
When we hear that we can rely on God to be our strength, we may call on Him in time of trouble, because of what we have heard about Him. When we experience Him as our strength, it makes a difference when we call on Him again. In Romans 5:4, Paul tells us that experience brings hope. Hope is an image we have, based on facts. When we are told something by someone credible, we consider it factual information. We can create an image, based on their words. Once we have had an experience for ourselves, that image becomes more vivid. Since faith is released because of hope, it is easier to release faith when our hope is stronger. Our hope can be stronger after personal experience.
The more we experience the Lord as our strength, the more we will be able to say what David said, "I will love you, 0 Lord, my strength." Just like someone would say to another who has helped them tremendously, "I love you, my helper," so we will say to God, "I love you, my Strength." These are not just words. It is an· emotional response out of gratitude for the relationship that has been so beneficial. The experience we have with God should increase our appreciation and love for Him.
I will release faith based upon the hope I have. My faith will produce experiences that will increase my hope. My increased hope will enable me to release my faith and have more experiences. Out of gratitude to God, I will express my love and appreciation for each and every experience we enjoy together. My love and appreciation for the Lord is increasing continually.