THE ONE WHO LIFTS UP

It is easy to understand the sorrowful tone in the first verses of Psalm 3. Having your own son turn against you is a deep source of grief. David would remember him as a young child. Later, as a boy, he might have noticed a rebellious streak beginning to form in the boy, but as an indulgent father, he might have thought, "It's just a phase. He'll grow out of it." As a handsome young man with a strong will, David could see he had a self-centered, stubborn son who was not only rebellious but also ambitious and willing to take action on his own.

We have our children in our homes for a relatively short time. What we allow or restrict must be consistent and should be established from infancy. By the time they are seven or eight years old, our children are surrounded by peers, and they tend to listen to and imitate the actions and trends of their friends at the moment. By their teenage years, they will probably see their parents as outdated and may no longer be willing to accept advice or follow family rules easily. There might be sullen compliance, but also open defiance. Hopefully, by the age of twenty, they will understand parental reasoning and realize that older people may indeed know a thing or two.

In the case of Absalom, his rebellious streak continued to worsen until he was willing to kill his own father to achieve his ambition. It is in this context that we read the words of Psalm 3 and see David crossing the brook and leaving Jerusalem with a heavy heart. Even though he was surrounded by a large army of loyal soldiers, he felt outnumbered as he fled from his son Absalom. Being rejected by his son and many of his people was bad enough, but hearing people say that God had forsaken him was the greatest source of his sorrow.

At our first reading, we might wonder why the word "Selah" is placed there by the Holy Spirit of God. When we look inward and let our emotions guide our actions, we need to stop, pause, and reflect on what we think and say. Is this what God wants from me? Who am I truly seeking for the help I need? God remains with us in difficult times, so I must seek Him and trust Him. There are moments when we should simply stop and consider what we have said, ensuring we are not just having a "pity party," but are in a position by God where we will learn that faith really works.

The result of David's reflection is very clear. His mind, heart, and words are confidently directed toward God. Jehovah, the One who is our Protector on every side, is his shield. There is no greater safety. He is not only his Protector but also the Source of his confidence, hope, and honor. He is "The Lifter up of my head." The Lord is the One who encourages us in times of discouragement. He was the One in whom David fully trusted when he prayed. His urgent prayer didn't change God; it changed him.

We do not manipulate or try to coerce God into doing what we want when we pray. Prayer helps place people, problems, plans, promises, and places into proper perspective. The result of prayer is that we are moved from thinking of ourselves as the center to focusing on God and His divine will. Then, we begin to see how and where we fit into His sovereign purposes of grace, truth, and kingdom living. Praying out loud is beneficial because it clarifies my intentions. God knows me completely—my thoughts, motives, actions, and intentions—so I am not surprising Him with what I say in prayer. However, praying aloud makes my petitions, thanksgiving, adoration, confession, intercessions, and supplications more specific. That specificity is what makes prayers passionate. My emotions, tears, groans, or physical posture can be influenced just as much by my fleshly energy as by the urgency of the situation. Ultimately, the effectiveness of prayer is truly in the words I voice, especially when spoken aloud.

David directed his heart and voice to "His holy hill, the place where God dwelt with His people." He focused his prayer only on the Lord, not on what others saw or heard. Then, for the second time, he said, "Selah." This time, his pause and his reflection were on the Lord Himself - the Lord alone, not on David, His servant. This principle of prayer is fundamental for dealing with our discouragement and bringing peace to my troubled heart in times of crisis.

What is highly interesting and instructive for us is that he lay down on the ground and went to sleep, and had a peaceful night's rest. He had "cast his burden on the Lord" and left it there. The heartbreak of his son's rebellion did not change. The treacherous people who had turned away from his leadership and the potential loss of the throne had not changed. The taunts of people who said God would not hear him may still have been heard, but they were all taken care of when he "cried to the Lord with his voice."

When we're in a crisis, sometimes we can't sleep. But when we understand and admit that God is in control of circumstances and thank Him for that assurance, sleep will come, and we will "find rest to [our] soul." When we wake up, we are rested in body, mind, and spirit and realize that "our times" are in God's hands, as well as our lives, our work, our hopes, and our problems. All are under His sovereign control. It is then we rise in faith and move forward one step at a time, even though we don't know the outcome of a matter or even of the day itself. We have deliberately chosen to leave the results to our Lord and not to be afraid of everything that seems to be against us. "If God be for us, who can be against us?"

The last two verses of the psalm are almost like a battle cry from someone who seeks justice from God, not from himself. He desires justice, not revenge. He is asking for his enemies to be treated the same way they treated him. The most important part of this response to his prayer is that he has surrendered the whole matter to the Righteous, Just God. The outcome is salvation from the Lord, not from human schemes. This time, the word "Selah" is used. The pause isn't to reflect on himself or his thoughts, nor to focus on the Lord Himself, but to reverently, respectfully, and humbly recognize that it is the Lord who saves us. Salvation is entirely His work. Moreover, the Lord sustains and bestows upon His people the blessings of eternal life and well-being. David now looks beyond the past and present to the future. It’s then he pauses to reflect on the salvation the Lord has accomplished. The result is a peaceful, composed attitude that aligns with humility and faith. He can rise and face the new day and future with complete trust in the Lord. What a wonderful way to begin a new day!

David is running for his life from Absalom. David was subject to changing moods. In this psalm, he goes from dark despair to calm confidence. v. 1. At first, he is overawed by his enemies. What is one among so many? He is stung by their jibes. They insinuate his sin has cut him off from any hope of divine aid. v. 2. “Selah”. A word with many possible meanings: “crescendo; stop and think; play louder or an instrumental interlude; repetition; end of a section; the bending of a body in reverence or respect. v. 3. David gets his eyes off his enemies and on the Lord. His outlook has changed. Jehovah is a shield, a source of glory, a lifter of his head. The shield gives him protection from enemy assaults. His glory – the Lord gives him honor, dignity, and vindication in place of shame, reproach, and slander. v. 4. In prayer, David finds that God hears and answers from His holy hill. v. 5. The psalmist lies down and sleeps, the gift that God gives those who trust Him. v. 6. He awakes with the consciousness that the Lord has given him rest. Now he has the courage to face his foes unafraid. v. 7. David comes again for grace for the new day. He asks for equal treatment upon his enemies that they had put on him. That would be God’s justice. v. 8. David asks that God bless His people by continuing to show them deliverance.