October 1 - Psalm 3

October 1 - Psalm 3

I hope you will take a few moments to read this Psalm.  The superscription says that it is a psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom.  That story is found in 2 Samuel 15 and 16.  Absalom began building a cadre of men who would support him. 2 Samuel 15:6 says that he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.  Finally, a messenger got to David, telling him that Absalom was coming.  David left Jerusalem, but everyone knew a battle was brewing between the two forces.

Commentaries say that this Psalm became a morning psalm, especially for military forces on the field of battle.  Before the day began, they sang this Psalm.   What if we were to sing this Psalm as we puttered around our homes trying to begin our day?

I don’t want to spend much time thinking about those who are against me.  Today’s psychologists might tell me that I was too self-focused and there aren't that many people who are even thinking about me. Maybe I should look at the foes I have which reside in my own heart and mind. I can find a great many there.  Those who tell me I can’t or I shouldn't  those who tell me I’m not worth it or that I will fail at anything I attempt.  Those who tell me that I’m not worthwhile to God and I've done too many awful things to warrant His love.  Those are my foes every single day.

The Lord is a shield around me, though.  He lifts up my head. When I cry out to Him, He answers me. The Psalmist doesn't tell me that I have to do anything to gain that shield around me.  I don’t have to be good or righteous or washed clean from all my sins.  The Lord is my shield.  All I have to do is cry out for Him. He won’t leave me when I need Him.

When I lie down at night, I don’t have to be frightened of all of those things that creep into my mind. David was surrounded by tens of thousands of men, any one of whom could enter his tent and assassinate him, but because he trusted in the Lord, he knew he would wake in the morning.  I know that I will wake in the morning because the Lord loves me.

It is the Lord who will strike down my enemies for me.  I don’t have to battle them.  I don’t have to spend a great deal of time worrying about my own self-worth or battle against fear and low self-confidence.  God will deliver me from those things.

It is because of the Lord that I can be delivered from those foes.

May His blessing be upon His people.  Amen.

Yes, this is a prayer to pray every morning.