Psalm 3: Crying Out in Faith

"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." Psalm 3:5

In 2 Samuel 15-18, we find the great story of David fleeing from his son Absalom. Because of David's sin with Bathsheba, the Lord promised punishment would come to his account. Although everything was going right for David before the Bathsheba incident, in 2 Samuel 13, things start taking a turn for the worse. Although God had fully forgiven David of his sin, his sin still brought punishment. Part of that punishment was having one of his own sons rise up against him and attempt to take the kingdom from him. Because of this, David had to flee from the city of Jerusalem, and ultimately rely on the Lord to overcome his own son who sought his life and his kingdom.

But what does any of that have to do with Psalm 3? Well, as we've been reading through the Bible chronologically, we've been reading the Psalms along with 1 and 2 Samuel. Although there are a couple other psalms that could have been written during the events of 2 Samuel 15-18, we know for certain that Psalm 3 was for certain. Amidst his fleeing from Absalom, David cries out to the Lord in faith in Psalm 3. Let us observe his words today, that we might be shown how we can cry out in faith as well.

In Psalm 3, David starts out by telling the Lord of his troubles. He exclaims that his foes are many (1) and how each one of them are proclaiming to him that 'there is no salvation for him in God' (2). David's enemies are many, and each one of them are proclaiming to him that there is no hope. Have you ever been there? Perhaps in the midst of a sorrowful situation, and the world around you tells you that there is simply no hope? Well, rest assured, because the great and mighty King David felt the same way at times as well.

But David does not stop there, but observes the character of God in light of his struggles. You see, there are only two ways to see in this world: either we can look at God through the lens of our circumstances, or we can look at our circumstances through the lens of God. David chose the latter, and we should as well. Rather than completely fixating on his circumstances, David here turned to focusing on the character of God: "But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, the lifter of my head." Shields in David's time were much different than the shields we often think of today. All of the shields in David's time were full-body shields that would cover a soldier entirely. Thus, when David sees the Lord as his "shield," he sees him as his full protection and salvation. There is nothing else that can save David from his struggles but the shield of the Lord. Thus, as David reflects on the fact that God is both his protector, his glory, the lifter of his head, and the answerer to his prayers (4), he thus has hope amidst his struggle.

But David does not stop there, but continues to reflect on God's character. Although thousands of David's enemies surround David, he resolves to not be afraid (6). Why? Because just as the Lord has sustained him in his sleep, the Lord will continue to sustain him (5). Every time I read this verse, I am convicted. How many times do I awake in the morning thanking God for causing me to wake up? Am I fully aware that it is only in God's power that I did not perish in the night? Yet David was aware of this, and since God's past faithfulness has sustained him in the night, he is sure that his future faithfulness will save him in the future.

In conclusion, David offers his petition up to the Lord: "Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked." David knows that even amidst his great distress of enemies rising around him (1), the Lord is his protector. David cannot sustain himself, but God can, and thus he goes to God and God alone with his fears. Thus, he states in the last verse of the psalm: "Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people!"

This Psalm provides us with a great pattern for crying out to the Lord in faith. Amidst this time of pandemic, there are many fears, struggles, and temptations. What would it look like if we took all of these to the Lord? What would it look like to trust in God's character rather than gloves and a mask? What would it look like to pray to God for wisdom on how to live your life in these uncertain times rather than try to determine how to live it out in your own power? David knew that the LORD was his only hope, and surely we ought to trust this as well. For salvation does not belong to us, but to the LORD! Amen.