Psalm 3 — Psalms Speak Personally — Reading the Psalms

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

1 LORD, how are mine adversaries increased!
Many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul,
There is no help for him in God.      Selah
3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield about me;
My glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cry unto the LORD with my voice,
And he answereth me out of his holy hill.     Selah
5 I laid me down and slept;
I awaked; for the LORD sustaineth me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people,
That have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God:
For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone;
Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.
8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD:
Thy blessing be upon thy people.     Selah

Our first personal psalm hits like a ton of bricks, doesn’t it? I read through this psalm. to myself yesterday and earlier this morning, getting excited for its personal feel, emotion and faithfulness to God. Then, just a few moments ago, I noticed the psalm’s own connection to the story of Absalom’s conspiracy and David’s flight for his life from his own son. My word, the psalms are personal.

The first psalm was the encouragement to plant oneself in and to pursue throughout life the wisdom of the Word of God. The second psalm spoke of the world’s rage against the make of all. God in the triumph and victory in both of those psalms – trusting in his word rather than simple selfishness & pride.

Yet, in this psalm we realize we are under attack. Though the Lord may hold the wicked in derision, the wicked are near at hand and may give us pause. Let us use this psalm as our response. Cry out in anguish at your plight. Acknowledge the reality of your difficulties to God. He hears and answers! 

I find myself repeating the idea that God hears on this podcast a lot. It must be something God desperately wants us to know: He hears and answers. He lifts our head in depression, he lays us down in the comfort of sleep, he raises us in the morning to live again. This sounds a lot like the work of Jesus, does it not?

God stands strong in judgment and will break the teeth of our enemies. He will punish them – it sounds quite painful to have one’s teeth broken. He will secure – whom can they harm when toothless? We need have no fear, even in the midst of fear. Because of God, we can have courage: walking through fear to something greater.