A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.
Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
‘God will not deliver him.’But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
I call out to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear though tens of thousands
assail me on every side.Arise, Lord!
Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.From the Lord comes deliverance.
(Ps. 3:1-8 NIV)
May your blessing be on your people.
David’s foes were some in his family. That family disunity was David’s own fault. David does not deserve saving. Perhaps those who are saying God will not deliver him knew that he didn’t deserve deliverance. Yet in mercy God reassures David. David’s God is a shield around him. We don’t deserve deliverance, yet God has shown us mercy. God is shielding us everyday. Nothing will penetrate that shield until our Sovereign God allows it. David might well bow his head in shame, but God is his glory and God lifts his head high. The apostle Paul tells us in Col. 1:27
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
(Col. 1:27 NIV)
Christ is our hope of glory. God in Christ raises our heads that are hung in shame. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–
(Jn. 1:12 NIV)
We have the God given right to be called children of God. We call out to our God in Heaven and in Heaven God hears and from Heaven God answers.
Lie down in peace tonight because the Lord sustains His people. There may be tens of thousands of calamities ready to assail us. God is our shield – only what God permits will happen. Every breath we breathe is sustained by God. All those breaths are known to God by number, we’ll breathe them all. And the blessing of God will be upon His people, now and always.
Prayer
Lord we have to confess that we are the author of many of the difficulties that we face. The only glory that we have is what we have in Christ. My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross. Thank you for your mercy, You cause us to stand in Christ. Be my shield, my glory, allow me to have more confidence, be our deliverance and may your blessing be upon all your people. We ask these things in the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.