BUT YOU, O LORD
PSALM 3:1-6
PSALM 3:1-6 NKJV
1 Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
2 Many are they who say of me,
"There is no help for him in God." Selah
3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
4 I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
5 I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.
OBSERVATION:
A common phrase among believers is, but God. The phrase is used to describe a situation that was going in the wrong direction, but God turned it around.
In this psalm, David is running from his son Absalom who had instigated a coup against him. Much of the nation of Israel had sided with Absalom, and the numbers were against David.
So, we can see David describe his situation to the Lord. People have risen up against him, and it was not just a few. Many people.
Many people were talking about David's situation. They were saying that God could not bail him out of the trouble he was facing. It was looking like game over time for David.
And then things shift. But you, O Lord, are a shield around me. You, O Lord, are the One who lifts my head. David got back on track with who God was to him. He reconnected with the One who had helped him over the years. He cried out to God, and the Lord heard him.
David then testified of what happened on that dark night. He was able to go to sleep. With a major disruption to his life, David slept and woke up because the Lord sustained him.
David then declares his faith that he will not fear the multitude against him.
APPLICATION:
I learn so much from David. I want to think in line with how David thought about God. And I want to speak as David spoke.
David was not bashful about telling God his problems and what he was facing. But David does not stop there. He does not end on the problem.
Problems? Yes, I have them. But You, O Lord. This is vital to winning when facing challenges. But You, O Lord, are my helper, my strength, my wisdom, and the One who puts me over.
I've got some sticky situations, But You, O Lord, are bigger and stronger than anything I am facing. And You hear me when I pray.
The Psalms are beautiful in their poetry. But more than that, the Psalms give us a pattern for overcoming in this life.
PRAYER:
Lord, I am facing some challenges. But You, O Lord, are so much bigger and better. Thank You for helping me.