"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." Psalm 3:2-4.
MANY
We may have so many problems and so many enemies that we feel surrounded and trapped in an iron corner. They cast doubts and say things like you can't trust in God, or there is no hope for your situation. They seem to be everywhere, and their gossip spreads through social media until whole communities seem to be against us. We start to avoid people who were our friends and cease to reach out to anyone at all.
No matter how big the problem we are facing, the betrayal of our friends is far worse because of the despair they bring.
BUT
Sometimes a word like but is is a turning point or the beginning of a rebuttal statement. Here it is the beginning of hope. The author of this verse turns his attention from those full of discouragement to his hope in God.
Here he starts to speak personally and directly with the Most High. You can sense the attitude of confidence and expectation.
LORD
The Lord is the one who rules, commands, and controls. He is in charge and has ultimate authority. When you know who God is personally and in an intimate way, you find hope far beyond any other hope.
"Lord" is not only a title- it explains a relationship. A lord is one you are subject to and obey. Many call God Lord, but though He is the ruler of the universe, they themselves have not obeyed him. They make it only a name, not a declaration.
The psalmist speaks as if he knew the Lord personally and was actively subject to Him.
SHIELD AROUND ME
A shield is only good for warfare, and you use it in battle. A shield offers protection from attack and danger; it is comforting to crouch behind it as it stops sword thrust and arrows, but a shield offers only minimal protection. If a shield is big, it is also heavier, and its weight reduces your mobility, so you cannot turn to face a threat. A shield can only protect one side at a time.
The Lord is the ultimate protection. He is like a shield protecting us on all sides; His protection has no gaps in it.
MY GLORY
The Lord gives us more than success since it is He who is our victory. We cannot boast or revel in the conquest of our problems; instead, we look and see it was by God that we endure and will still be standing when the conflict is over.
LIFTER OF MY HEAD
He does what we cannot. He is the one who lifts us out of the dark pit, not ourselves.
I CALL
Here is the desperate cry of a soldier about to fall in battle. Imagine a battle that has turned against you as if your comrades on every side fell, leaving you alone and surrounded as you stand against the host of enemies. You raise your voice to cry for help, and immediately the general sends the entire army to your position to rescue you as they overrun the adversary.
God is always waiting for the humble prayer; it is as if He is waiting while holding the answer in His hand.
HE ANSWERS
It looks like we get out of the problem; but to say He answers does not always mean that He delivers. His answer may be the strength to endure through a difficult time. We can be assured that whatever answer the Almighty gives is more than answer enough.
The world we live in can be very adversarial, but the God we serve is the Lord who triumphs, and we can have confidence that if we come to Him in humble prayer, we will see the victory.
Adron©7/31/16
