Psalm 3 is identified as “A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.” You can read the heartbreaking historical context in 2 Samuel 15. It had to have been one of the most difficult moments of David’s life. Imagine Israel’s king, barefoot, head covered, weeping as he ascends the Mount of Olives, fleeing for his life from his own son.
How thankful we ought to be, however, that God saw fit to preserve this distressing account for our learning. Take a few moments to meditate on David’s journey in Psalm 3 from pain to praise.
O LORD, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
In his discouragement, uncertainty, and pain, David opens up to his Creator. He believes that the LORD is. He believes that he can be honest and straightforward with the God who hears. His plea begins simply. Help. David may be downcast, burdened, and overwhelmed, but he believes the LORD cares about his present pain.
But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the LORD,
and he answered me from his holy hill.
David’s deep conviction prompts a confession of steadfast faith in the great I AM. Though he cannot see where this painful path will end, David believes that God is good and able to deliver him.
I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
When we cast our anxieties on the LORD, trusting that he cares for us, a door is opened to a peace that surpasses human understanding. David knows who has sustained him to this moment, and that recognition drives fear from his heart. The throne of I AM is not vacant.
Arise, O LORD!
Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.
Having armed himself with conviction and God-shaped perspective, David prays for the LORD’s intervention and salvation. Your Creator saw fit to preserve his prayer, and though they are someone else’s words, the Psalms continue to teach us how to feel, how to trust, and how to pray like no other book in the Bible.
Salvation belongs to the LORD;
your blessing be on your people!
David’s psalm may begin with pain and disappointment, but it gradually works invaluable perspective into wounded hearts, leading the weary people of God to praise and anticipated blessing. It’s an ancient aid worth remembering and meditating upon this week.
You, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.