Psalm 3: 1-2
“O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.”
Are you going through some tough times right now?
– Bills stacked up high and bill collectors calling?
– Your marriage or relationship is sinking fast?
– Loss of job or can’t find a job?
– Your child has walked away from you?
– Seems like everyone is conspiring against you?
King David in the Bible fully understands. His life was full of all kinds of ups and downs including one time towards the end of his life where his own son had turned against him. Absalom had rose up, gathered the nation around him, and declared himself king. He wanted his father dead and David fled the kingdom and was hiding in the wilderness.
In the midst of this season of threat and betrayal, David started his psalm by stating the issue at hand. The whole world was crushing in on him and he felt alone. There is a possibility that you feel that way today. However, David never stopped right there in the midst of despair. He made the choice to focus on what really matters.
Psalm 3: 3-6
“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.
I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.”
Like David, you can choose to turn your attention back to the truth instead of being swallowed up by the lies. If you have accepted Jesus as Leader and Forgiver in your life, then you are a beloved child of God. Take a moment and think through the implications of the claims David makes about his (and yours) Lord.
– our shield
– our glory
– the lifter of your head
– He hears you cry if you cry to Him
– He answers that cry
David even takes a moment to worship God for the things we often take for granted. Things might be tough right now but you went to bed last night and you got back up again. You are still here! He sustains you!
Then notice how his focus is renewed with the powerful statement of “I will not be afraid”! That comes from moving the focus from the problems to the Lord! You might feel like you have thousands of people against you today but David actualy did. If he can put His trust in the Lord, you can too and find deliverance.
Now this is not just “happy, happy, joy, joy” moment where we are suppose to feel peace while the Titanic sinks. This is power of changing our focus so we change our results. Watch what David puts here….
Psalm 3: 7
“Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.”
Now that might sound pretty vengeful from our vantage point but I want you to notice a few things.
David is looking for God to save Him instead of David taking things into his own hands. How often do we feel the waters rising around us and we start to thrash about causing our own sinking. David looks to God first and you can too.
While this is true, David also doesn’t just sit back and do nothing. We see this when we look at the whole story in 2 Samuel and David works hard to prepare for the challenges but only as God leads.
David has a proper understanding of righteousness and wickedness as well as how God deals with them. As violent as the words seem, He is talking about God’s view and not his. A matter of fact, we find in the 2 Samuel accounts that David made it clear his son was not to be killed. When someone broke this command and killed Absalom, it broke David’s heart. He was praying here in metaphor against the wickedness and not the individual.
As you look at David’s response to the challenges in his life in this psalm, what can you learn about how you are dealing with your struggle? Are you giving the struggle too much control? Are you praying? Are you refocusing in that prayer towards God instead of just trying to use Him as a parachute? Are you doing your part as you follow the Lord to move towards victory?
The Bible says in Romans 8. “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Are you living as one who is saved or as a victim? There are times when we grieve and struggle (I’m sure David had his nights of tears over his son) but we are not called to stay there for longer than a season. It might be time to refocus, talk to your Daddy, and start living differently.
Psalm 3: 8
“Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!”
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