Psalms 18:1-10

I love you, YAHWEH, and I’m bonded to you, my strength! YAHWEH, you’re the bedrock beneath my feet, my faith-fortress, my wonderful deliverer, my God, my rock of rescue where none can reach me. You’re the shield around me, the mighty power that saves me, and my high place. All I need to do is to call on you, YAHWEH, the praiseworthy God. When I do, I’m safe and sound in you— delivered from my foes! For when the cords of death wrapped around me and torrents of destruction overwhelmed me, taking me to death’s door, in my distress I cried out to you, the delivering God, and from your temple-throne you heard my troubled cry, and my sobs went right into your heart. The earth itself shivered and shook. It reeled and rocked before him. As the mountains trembled, they melted away, for his anger was kindled on my behalf! Fierce flames leapt from his mouth, erupting with blazing, burning coals as smoke and fire encircled him. He stretched heaven’s curtain open and came to my defense. Swiftly he rode to earth as the stormy sky was lowered. He rode a chariot of thunderclouds amidst thick darkness; his steed was a cherub, soaring on outstretched wings of Spirit-Wind.