God is Faithful

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Scripture: Psalm 3 (ESV)

            1           O Lord, how many are my foes!

Many are rising against me;

            2           many are saying of my soul,

 “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah

 

            3           But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,

my glory, and the lifter of my head.

            4           I cried aloud to the Lord,

and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

 

            5           I lay down and slept;

I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

            6           I will not be afraid of many thousands of people

who have set themselves against me all around.

 

            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.

 

            8           Salvation belongs to the Lord;

your blessing be on your people! Selah

 

Devotion:

           

            The psalm we are meditating on today is a psalm of David. David wrote it when he fled from his son Absolom when he tried to stage a takeover of the kingship of Israel. In it David appeals to God. David trusted in the Lord to provide all that he needed. Apparently, David’s trust was well placed for the psalm praises God for saving David from the hand of his son.

           

            This psalm begins by counting the number of David’s foes. These enemies, including his own son, mock David by saying there is no salvation for him. It is always a test of nerve when you are having to fight a battle and you are in the minority. But David remained steadfast in his reliance on God.

 

            In verses 3 and 4 David proclaims the faithfulness of God. The Lord is his shield and one who keeps David’s soul from being dejected. David tells us that the Lord has answered from his holy hill. That hill being Jerusalem where God’s temple is located. It is that hill on which the king reigned. David here anticipates ultimate victory and restoration to the throne.

 

            The next two verses display the confidence David has in God. The fact that in the heat of battle for his very life David talk about sleeping indicates that he was sure of the Lord’s provision for him. That even though he was surrounded by enemies on every side David was confident that the Lord would provide for him. David displays here the same reliance on God that he had long before this when facing Goliath. A full-throatedconfidence in the Lord.

 

            Verse 7 calls upon God directly to intervene in the battle and fight for David. Anything less than victory over his son will not be acceptable for David. So, he calls for God to fight for him and with him in this battle. Verse 8 is a hymn of praise to the Lord. Calling for God to shower blessings on, not David’s people, but on God’s people. Saving them from all their trials.

 

Let us pray:

           

            Lord, we come to you today asking that we may be as confident in your provision for us as David was. In fact, we have more reason to be confident since we know your son who came to us in the flesh to save us. Help us to always remember your provision for your people throughout history. Help us to rejoice in you O God. May we be found to be as faithful as you are regardless of our trials and tribulations. Amen.

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