I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me round about. (Psalm 3:5-6)
David cried out to God in prayer, and then? He went to bed and went to sleep. Well, I should change that. He didn't really "go to bed" because he wasn't in the palace in his fancy bed. He was camped out in the wilderness. But he slept just fine . . . kinda reminds us of the time that Peter was facing execution and was peacefully sleeping in the prison, chained between two guards -- the angel that was sent to rescue him had to hit him to wake him up! Now, that is sleeping soundly! (You can check it out in Acts chapter twelve, if you want to.)
David says he awoke safe and sound because the Lord sustained him. As the day wore on, he received reports that there were tens of thousands opposing him, but he was not afraid. Paul would express this peace many years later, like this:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
When the Lord is our shield, as we noted yesterday, and He is the One we rely on, the number of enemies arrayed against us won't matter! Another phrase from our old friend Paul says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8) He goes on in that chapter to tell us that even if we are killed "like sheep to be slaughtered," we still "more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Even if our enemies kill us, as the martyrs were before us, we can have God's peace in our soul.
Now, let's not leave on a down note, OK? Yes, we can have peace, indescribable peace, when we take God's hand and pray. And that peace will sustain us if we were to have to die for our Lord. But most of us, I believe, have been given the task, the destiny, if you will, of living for him. And we can do that, and live triumphantly, by depending on God for deliverance. We see that in the last two verses:
Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God!
For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek;
You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord;
Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah. (v. 7-8)
Don't be too hard on David, here.
Yes, it does sound like he's getting a little bit anxious again. But perhaps we can excuse him, since he keeps hearing about all the peeps who are against him, and he looks around him at the hundreds of loyal supporters and their families, who are depending on him!
The scholars tell us there are some clues in the Hebrew words here in these verses. In verse one, many were "rising" up against David. In verse seven, he uses the same Hebrew word to ask God to rise up against his enemies. In verse two, David's opponents said that God would not "deliver" him, and then in verse seven, David uses the same word to petition God to save him.
The second half of verse seven is really interesting to me . . . David pictures his enemies as ravenous beasts that are baring their teeth; they are snarling and growling, ready to tear him apart. So he asks God to break their teeth -- they would be powerless then. And he uses verb forms that say "this has already happened." I think that it reflects the rock-solid confidence that David has; he is certain that God will act, so he writes the psalm as if it has already happened. Now that is confidence!
In verse eight, David almost seems to shout, "Salvation belongs to the Lord!" He wasn't thinking about his tiny cadre of soldiers who came with him. He wasn't planning a daring strategy (he knew he didn't have the numbers to overcome the opposing army). He wasn't relying on any spies, or on counselors or whisperers that he'd planted in Absalom's organization. Instead, he acknowledges that any victory will come from God alone. As believers today, and as a people who cast ourselves upon the Lord for deliverance, we must remember to give Him all the praise when He answers our prayers.
One final note drawn from David's prayer, here, and I think it's vitally important for each one of us. I know that I am guilty sometimes of packing my prayer full of what I need, of what I want, and why I feel it needs to happen. David's final words in this prayer were "Your blessing be upon your people." He was not praying selfishly. He was the anointed, chosen king of God's people. The rebellion of his son was affecting the entire nation - and not in a positive way! So, when he asked God to deliver him, David saw it in terms of God's blessing His people.
In our prayers, too, we need to keep God's purposes in focus. If our world is fraying at the edges, or if it's been ripped apart, we need to watch ourselves. Yes, reach out to take hold of God's hand in prayer. Pour out the troubles and heartache. But keep our sovereign God's kingdom purposes in view. I know, I know, right? We are only human. I have poured out my heart to God when my world has been falling apart . . . when we have been facing a financial wipeout, when we have been dealing with a rebellious child . . . it's easy to just pray selfishly. Lord, fix it for me! Let my heart stop hurting! There's a reason why the Lord's prayer teaches us to pray, "thy will be done." Instead of praying for the money to come and relieve my stress, God teaches me to pray that He will be glorified by my testimony during a time when finances are stretched to the breaking point. Instead of praying for my child to change, so that my heart stops aching, God teaches me to pray that I will learn from Him, and that my child will be safe as he/she learns a needed lesson (and ignores my sage advice!).
The most important result from our prayers is that God will be glorified, and that His people will be blessed and strengthened.
It's hard for us to believe, if we are in the middle of a crisis or a tragedy, but David turned his own horrible experience (he was betrayed, in pain, and being pursued by killers) into a song of praise! This teaches us today that God can use our worst trials to deepen our trust in Him. We can take God's hand in believing prayer and then experience His peace. When He answers, He gets the glory, we get the joy, and other believers receive encouragement and blessing.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)
Wow.
So, don't be anxious; pray; and thank Him for the opportunity to trust Him. Thank Him for the trial. Thank Him for the chance to rest secure in Him - and the opportunity to glorify Him. That will bring His peace.
Well, that matches up with our studies on adversity, right? Whether we are in a minor crisis, or our lives seem to be falling apart at the seams, Jesus is our high priest. We have access (through Jesus' blood) to the same God Who heard David's prayers and rescued him. Even if the crisis is the result of our own sins, if we humble ourselves before Him and pray, He will deliver us at the proper time.
Amen!
Yes, amen!
Been grabbing at His hand a long time now.
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