Psalm 3 - 22 April 2009

‘O Lord, how many are my foes!

      How many rise up against me!

Many are saying of me,

      ‘God will not deliver him’.

But you are a shield around me, O Lord,

      you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

To the Lord I cry aloud,

      and he answers me from his holy hill.

I lie down and sleep:

      I wake again, because the Lord sustains me’. Psalm 3: 1-6 [NIV]

This is typical of David.  He often starts by looking at his problems - in this case enemies wanting to hunt him down and destroy him, then he looks to God and draws the strength he needs from the character of God who he is convinced is on his side.  Here he’s on the run fleeing from the mob that is after his blood and yet he can lie down and sleep – probably under some hedge or bush – but he sleeps!! Why? - because he is sure God is looking out for him.

Now, we may not have enemies but we could easily change the words to, ‘how many and insurmountable are my problems’ and we might feel something of David’s predicament.  Can we also say, ‘But you O Lord protect me; You will keep me through it all; you will hold on to me, so I can lie down and sleep then get up to face another day knowing you’re on my case’.

God doesn’t promise to remove all our problems but instead promises to be with us through them all.  How safe do you think you are in the hands of God?

May God help us to trust more in his goodness and constant care for us.