Psalm 3 – Day 1

“But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high." – Psalm 3:3 NLT

David has had to abandon Jerusalem and his throne because his own son, Absalom, has taken over his kingdom. You can read about this tragic event in David's life in 2 Samuel 15. Psalm 3 was written at the time that all this was going on. So David was going through some significantly trying circumstances. He had lost everything, including his kingdom and the love of his own son. Everyone has seemingly turned against him. His enemies are taunting him that God will never rescue him from this predicament. But David knew something about his God. He had a confidence in God that came from experience. He knew that his God was a shield about him – a form of protection from attack. No matter how bad things got, David knew God to be as reliable as a shield a soldier used in battle to protect himself from certain death. David also knew that God was his glory – He was the one who gave David honor in the sight of others. David may have lost his throne, but he knew he was in God's hands. Others may have lost their respect for David, but he knew that ultimately any honor he received was from God and not from his position or possessions. It was God who gave David's life "weight," as the word glory can be translated. In other words, it was David's relationship with God that gave his life value – not his job, title, or resume. Finally, David knew that it was God who held his head high. It would have been easy for David to hang his head low under the circumstances. He was running away from his own son. He had abandoned his own throne and was hiding in the wilderness. But David knew that God was the lifter of heads. He would revive David and ultimately restore Him to his throne – if that was God's desire. As he left the city that day, David was able to say, "If the Lord sees fit, he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again. But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him" (2 Samuel 15:25 NLT).

David knew his God. He had faith in his God. He could rest in his God. He had confidence in his God. So he cried out to his God. And then he waited. David was not going to let circumstances determine His view of God. A bad day was not going to alter his understanding of the goodness of God. Unexpected, unwelcome events should not cause us to doubt God, but should cause us to turn to Him for help, hope, and healing. Cry out. He answers.

Father, give me the confidence of David. Give me a view of you that is not determined by my circumstances. Help me to see Your faithfulness in the midst of difficulty. Help me to trust You even when things seem out of control, unfair, difficult to understand. You are my shield, glory, and the lifter of my head. Amen