Psalms 3

¹ Lord, how many are my foes!
    How many rise up against me!
² Many are saying of me,
    “God will not deliver him.”

³ But You, Lord, are a shield around me,
    My glory, the One who lifts my head high.
⁴ I call out to the Lord,
    and He answers me from His holy mountain.

⁵ I lie down and sleep;
    I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
⁶ I will not fear though tens of thousands
    assail me on every side.

⁷ Arise, Lord!
    Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
    break the teeth of the wicked.

⁸ From the Lord comes deliverance.
    May your blessing be on Your people.

(v1-2) The NKJV not only indicates that there are many enemies but that the number is increasing!  "Look!  At how many my enemies are and how many more they are becoming!  They are not only against me, they declare that my God will not deliver me."  Reminds me of David's trial with Goliath in some respects.  David not only had to recognize that the giant was less than God, but that the battle was God's.  His enemy wasn't just Goliath, but his own brothers ridiculed him.  Those without faith are always against those with faith.  In today's American society, do we not feel like David did here?  I so often have the feeling that there are enemies to my faith and they are ever increasing.  Then they validate that they are enemies by declaring that my God is not important and useless but any other god is important.

(v3-4) David then declares his confidence in God.  He worships God declaring that God is his protection and He holds him up.  He declares that God answers him when he calls out to Him.  This is a great testimony to the character and love of His Lord.  David is in a unique situation where his experiences back his great faith.  However, he is also older and sometimes that makes everything less certain.  Do our experiences back our faith?  Do we have recorded answers to prayer by God?  Have we had a time when the only answer was God?

(v5-6) "Although there are enemies on every side and they are uncountable, I will sleep at night and arise the next morning in the security of the knowledge that my Lord will sustain me."  What great confidence in the Almighty God!!  He does not toss and turn with restless sleep, but hands his very life into the hands of the One who will guard him.  How are we handling our problems, our fears, our insecurities today?  Do we wrestle with them or are we confident that God has them?

(v7-8) What bold statements of command David makes to an almighty God.  I do not know how to make such statements to God.  I am fearful of His retribution or required tolerance of my declaration.  Yet David did, a man after God's own heart the Bible tells us.  After praising God, declaring His protections and his security in God alone, he declares for God to strike his enemies and to deliver him.  Wow.  When I pray for protection, strength, encouragement, I neglect to pray for deliverance and for the enemy's defeat.  I feel so week by comparison to David and as though there is an aspect of my relation with God that is missing or that I do not understand.

(v8) Praise to the Lord further declaring that He alone is our deliverance and a call for His blessings upon those that love Him.  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!  So be it.