Day 3: Psalms 3:1-8
Psalm 3:1 A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son. LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me.
Lord, sometimes my enemies seem too great. They seem to be too many, too powerful for me. King David, Your warrior king, found at times, that even his own men were too difficult for him to handle (II Samuel 3:39). But Lord, nothing is too difficult for You. At times, Lord, I am overwhelmed by the vast hordes of those who have sold themselves over to wickedness. Lord, they conspired against Jesus. Yet You will not allow them to overcome us in the end (Psalm 91:7).
Psalm 3:2 many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah 3But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.
Some even say that I have no hope in God. But Lord, You have promised in many ways that You would never leave nor forsake Your people (Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 16:10; 86:13). Though we must go through many trials before we enter the glorified kingdom of God (Acts 14:22), yet You will deliver Your people (Psalm 34:19). You will either deliver us from the trials, through the midst of the trials, or bring us to heaven away from all the suffering and trials of this life.
“Sovereign Lord, You are my strength and my shield. You lift up my head in hope. Lord, when I have been down You picked me up.” You have given me reason to hope when all my hope and all worldly reason for hope was gone. You have given me rest from my foes, peace from those who assail me. O Lord, thank You. Lord, beyond the relief of pressure You have taught me that You alone are my steadfast hope, my constant shelter, and my exceedingly great reward. When all I have left is You, I am reminded that all I need is You.
Psalm 3:4 I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah 5I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
Lord, I called out to You in the midst of my struggles and even there You held me and sustained me. I never needed to cry, “My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken me?” because You never forsook me. Indeed, it is true that You momentarily forsook Christ because He bore our sins so that Your people might never be forsaken. You have never turned Your back on me for a moment, though the turmoil and trouble seemed to overwhelm me. You never left me alone. In the midst of the darkness, Your light still shone around me. O Lord, blessed be Your name forever.
I have found that, though my sorrows are great, as long as I have You, it is enough. As You helped Elijah through his weariness, emptiness and loneliness, so You have helped me and sustained me through the trials of my life (I Kings 19:1-18). You gave me strength and rest even in my trials. I laid down and slept – somehow in my times of turmoil, You let me sleep. When all other supports gave way, when no one else would hear the cry of my heart, You, O Lord, heard and set me free. You awakened me and sustained me from all my trials and from all my enemies.
Psalm 3:6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
Lord, I will try to be like Your servant David and not be afraid of 10,000 people who surround me. You will care for me through all my conflicts. Lord, down through history, You have repeatedly strengthened and delivered Your people. In my own life and by my own testimony You have delivered me. Lord, I give You thanks and praise and pray that Your past deliverances might lead me to trust You even more for the present and in the future.
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.
I have learned to call out to You, O Lord. Arise and take Your throne (II Chronicles 6:44), Your position of power. You have already overcome the evil one at the cross. One day You will rid the world of all its evil and all the snares into which Your children have fallen. In that day there will be no more spiritual landmines to hurt Your people.
Psalm 3:8 Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Selah
Salvation is completely from You, O God (Psalm 37:39). You have favored Your people! You have saved us from sin (Matthew 1:21), from Satan (Hebrews 2:14), from death (Psalm 68:20). You have delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and have transferred us into the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). Amen and Hallelujah!
Growing in Prayer 