How Many are My Foes

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Scripture: Psalm 3:1-8 (NIV)

1 Lord, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!

2 Many are saying of me,

“God will not deliver him.”

3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me,

my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

4 I call out to the Lord,

and he answers me from his holy mountain.

5 I lie down and sleep;

I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

6 I will not fear though tens of thousands

assail me on every side.

7 Arise, Lord!

Deliver me, my God!

Strike all my enemies on the jaw;

break the teeth of the wicked.

8 From the Lord comes deliverance.

May your blessing be on your people.

 

Devotion:

            Now we consider Psalm 3. It is the first prayer for help contained in the psalms. This Psalm is linked by its superscription to David. It was thought to have been composed after David’s son Absolom chased him from Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15-18). The Psalm moves from cries of despair (v. 1) to bold proclamations of hope and deliverance. (v. 8) The psalmist says that the source of his hope for deliverance is in the Lord alone. He envisions the Lord fighting for him against his many foes.

            In verses one and two the psalmist reports that his enemies are taunting him saying that the Lord will not deliver him. It seems as if he has lost all hope in God to deliver him. He feels helpless to fight against them in his own strength. The writer is unable to extricate himself from the hands of his enemies. There is no trace of hope in these verses. From this situation the writer is trying to let the reader know that there is no hope without God for salvation.

            Verses three through eight highlight the only source for hope in dire situations. The LORD is called upon to rescue the writer of the psalm. God is called to be his shield, glory, and lifter of his head. Words that mean God is to be the psalmist’s protection, and restoration. The LORD is seen as a protector in times of trouble. The writer has nothing to fear even though his enemies have him surrounded. He can sleep peacefully regardless of his situation.

            In this psalm, the Christian can find hope. No matter how dim and depressing our circumstances God always provides a way of escape for us. We see this repeatedly in the scriptures. From the exodus story of the children of Israel escaping through the Red Sea from Pharaohs army to Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday, our God delights in helping us escape our trials. The well known saying that God helps those who help themselves should be rewritten to say God helps those who cannot help themselves. Pray this Psalm whenever you are facing impossible odds. 

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