Read Psalm 3 and meet me back here.
The backstory of this Psalm is found in 2 Samuel 15-18, if you want to check that out. David was running from his son, Absalom. To get the fullness of this Psalm, I would give that a read.
DAVID’S PRAYER
“O LORD, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah.
David was on the run and his go-to was God. Let’s make it clear that it wasn’t that God didn’t already know what was going on in David’s life, but he shared his situation with the Lord, His God anyway. Why? He had a relationship and God was His go-to. (hmmmm…is God my first go-to?)
In this prayer, David stated: My adversaries have increased (3:1). In 2 Samuel 15:13 it says, “the hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.” Many are rising up against me (3:1). Many are saying of my soul, “there is no deliverance for him in God.” (3:2)
My interest was piqued that people were saying “of (his) soul”. What exactly does that mean? Soul (nep̄eš) describes the inner being of man. Think about that! Many, not just a couple people, are saying that David’s trust in God is to no avail. I honestly don’t think I have ever faced a situation like that. And yet, my heart often deceives me making my emotions take a dive if I find out even one person is against me.
Many people were saying, “there is no deliverance for him in God.” The word deliverance (yᵊšûʿâ) in Hebrew describes salvation (by God, primarily from external evils, but often with an added spiritual idea). These many people were looking at the outward circumstances in which David found himself, but they neglected one thing – David’s GOD!
At this point in the Psalm, David penned “Selah”, which denotes a “pause”. As I pondered all that he has said up to this point, I have to wonder if this “pause” was to allow his heart to catch up to his head. Because of the tone of the next section, I do believe that to be the reason. Check this out.
DAVID’S PROCLAMATION
So David has told God what was happening in his life, followed by a very important little word – BUT.
“But You, O LORD, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
I was crying to the LORD with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah.”
When David spoke of God being a (māḡēn), he was referring to a buckler, which is a small round shield worn on the left arm to protect and deflect the blows of an enemy. And you know what?! God wasn’t just in front of David, He was behind, through, round about him. God was deflecting blows away from and on behalf of David. The God who never fails. The God who is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. HIS God was a shield about him.
David also proclaimed that God is “my glory” — God was the One he was glorifying. David wasn’t resting in anything but God. HIS God. The One who made him what he was. The One who anointed him to be king of Israel. I think it is interesting to think of all the things that people tend to “glory” in – fame, power, prestige, possessions, but not David. David, this man after God’s own heart, recognized that GOD alone was his glory.
Then David proclaimed that GOD is the lifter of his head. That is not a common phrase today. The word lifter (rûm) means to raise, lift, exalt, set on high. The word head (rō’š) , whether interpreted literally or figuratively, can refer to a place, a time, or a rank. Do you hear what David is proclaiming here?! He is proclaiming that GOD is the one who placed him as King, and it’s God’s business to deal with his situation. God is his shield and defender. Just wow.
The last thing in this section that David proclaimed was that, as David was audibly crying out to God, He answered him from His holy mountain. This is such a precious description of our relationship to God. As we cry out to God, He answers (ʿānâ), which means to heed or pay attention.
What makes (ʿānâ) so special is that it is sequential imperfect. As we continue to pray and cry out to God, He pays attention to our cry. The fact that the sequence of “crying out” and “God heeding” is imperfect denotes that it’s an ongoing action, not one-and-done.
Think of it this way. We pray. God pays attention. During this on-going sequence, God is putting together the puzzle pieces of our circumstances. Over time, He fits together our circumstances so that the “picture” will begin to emerge, much like doing a puzzle. That brings to mind Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
God had anointed David to be king of Israel. David’s present circumstances were not reflecting that plan. But through crying out, and God hearing from His throne, God is working behind the scenes to accomplish His plan.
You may find yourself in a tough situation right now; if so, mirror David’s choices, and trust that “God’s got this!”
THE PROOF
“I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.”
This section of this Psalm makes my heart breathe a sigh of relief and jump for joy at the same time. David is saying that during both the time that he sleeps and the time he awakens, God sustains him. The Hebrew word for sustains (sāmaḵ) is another ongoing action, not one-and-done. The Self-existent and Eternal one – Yᵊhōvâ – will prop us up. He is strong enough for us to lean on. We can lay our burdens on Him and He never tires or gets weary. He will support us and uphold us when we are most exhausted.
This is ALL about who God is. The God who keeps us breathing during the night, the One who keeps our hearts beating and our organs working is the same God who is in control of all the circumstances of our lives. If we trust Him enough to keep us alive as we lay our heads down at night, we can also trust Him with the cares of our waking hours as well. Again…GOD’S GOT THIS!
DAVID’S PURPOSE
“I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me round about.”
David purposes in his heart that he will not be afraid. That purpose is also imperfect – on-going action, not one-and-done. There will be times in our lives where, between our circumstances and the whispers of the enemy of our soul, we may be tempted to fret and worry. During those times, we have to, like David, purpose in his heart NOT to be afraid. Why? Because GOD’S GOT THIS!!
CLOSING PROCLAMATION
“Salvation belongs to the LORD;
Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.”
This last section of Psalm 3 again screams relationship to me. God’s salvation, His deliverance from external evils and the grace given to glean something spiritual from our hard times, is what rests on His people. HIS people.
“The LORD is for me; I will not fear;
What can man do to me?
~~Psalm 118:6~~
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through HIM who loved us. For I am convinced that
neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
~~Romans 8:37-30~~
“And we know that GOD causes all things
to work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His purpose.
~~Romans 8:28~~
GOD’S GOT THIS because GOD’S GOT YOU!!