PSALM 3

THE LORD IS OUR PROTECTION

Confidence in troubles times.

Psalm 3 verse 1 Lord how my foes increase. There are many who attack me.

verse 2 Many say about me. There is no help for him in God.

Verse 3, But You Lord, are my shield around me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.                                                                                                                                                     

verse 4 I cry aloud to the Lord and He answers me, from His Holy mountain.

verse 5 I lie down and sleep, I wake again because the Lord sustains me.

verse 6 I am not afraid of the thousands of people, who have taken their stand against me on every side.

 verse 7 Rise up Lord! Save me, My God! You strike all my enemies on the cheek; You break the teeth of the wicked.

 verse 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; may Your blessing be on Your people.

Over a dozen Psalms are attributed to David and are also linked to their title to specific times and incidents in David’s life.

Psalm 3 recalls one of the most difficult times in David’s life. He had been on the run from Saul, but now he is on the run from his own son Absolom.

Absolom has growing support, and David is aware that he is not blameless himself. David believes he is reaping some of the violence of what he sowed.

This Psalm refers back to 2 Samuel 2 verse 17

The battle that day was extremely fierce and Abner [Saul’s commander] and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s soldiers.

2 Samuel 16 verse 6 to 8

v 6 He threw stones at David and at all the royal servants, the people and the warriors on David’s right and left.

V7 Shimei said as he curse: Get out, get out, you worthless murderer!

V8 The Lord has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul in whose place you rule,and the Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absolom. Look, you are in trouble because you’re a murderer.

We can all learn from the past, but we should not dwell on it, once we have repented of it.

David had learned from the past too, although the trouble and stress is something he could do without in his middle years. The former giant killer has not forgotten that God can be trusted in a way which banishes the worst excesses of human anxiety and sleeplessness.

We can all trust God in the same way if we come to Him with a repentant heart. God will help us overcome anxiety, and sleeping problems.

Many people can identify with the mixed feelings expressed here. Things go wrong which hurt, but can also be linked to our past decisions and actions.

David encourages us to trust God, to accept the situation and to trust Him to see us through.

David does not tell God how to rectify it.

David has to be willing to accept any outcome, which perhaps was the hardest thing of all.

David knew he needed to accept responsibility .

The sad outcome in 2 Samuel was Absoloms death, it was not what David deserved. That happened after This Psalm was written.

Read this Psalm and enjoy, that we can all have confidence in troubled times.

Our Lord and Our Friend is ever present. Learn to become real with Him, and He will never leave you or forsake you.                                                                

God bless

O F J