Whom shall I fear? Psalm 3

Lessons from Psalms: Chapter 3

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Psalms 3:1
“(A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.) LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.”

Do you ever feel like all around you are enemies that you are just finding out that you have? Sometimes it can seem overwhelming.

Psalms 3:2
“Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.”

And then, when it begins to depress you, and you are noticeably miserable in front of everyone, perhaps crying, and feeling alone and forsaken, everyone looks upon you with contempt; as if you are a plague that they would rather not have around. All of the faith and light that used to emanate from you seems faded and gloomy. It causes them not to question you, but your God that you profess to have faith in.

Psalms 3:3
“But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”

This is when it is most important for you to remember whose child you are, who you belong to. You are a child of the most high God. If you can remember this, it helps to lift your heavy head. Your heart feels lighter. You can almost smile.

Psalms 3:4
“I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.”

This is the time when prayer is most important; because, if you truly have faith, then you KNOW that He hears you.

Psalms 3:5
“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”

Then, after you pray, you will find a peace that surpasses all understanding. You find that you can sleep better. You can KNOW that God's got this!

Psalms 3:6
“I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.”

The fear and loneliness fades away with the morning light. You awaken with a fresh perspective. You even smile in the mirror, because you know who's child you are.

Psalms 3:7
“Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.”

When you leave the house, and find yourself surrounded, once again with all those who spoke out against you and made fun of you and forsook you because of your visible struggle, your renewed confidence is now just as visible. Your demeanor has changed. They now look at you with curiosity -- they are quiet. They move to give you room to walk through them. They wonder what has happened and think twice about commenting, or acting in a negative way around you.

Psalms 3:8
“Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.”

And, as the new day comes to an end, you find you have accomplished more than you thought you could, should, or would for His glory. All credit belongs to Him.

It helps to remember that David felt this way once. David went through this. You are not alone.

Chain Breaker (by Shonda Ponder)

Everyone has that one friend. You know, the one who is negative about everything, every day. Nothing good ever happens to them. All they do is complain, and then wonder why no one wants to be around them. They wonder why they are so lonely, or why no one seems to care, or why bad things always seem to happen to them, and no one is there to help pick them up.

The truth is that no one CAN help them. Any attempt to help them will probably get them into the same quicksand. No one likes drama. And, any word of encouragement is met with more negativity and expectation that exceeds anyone's ability.

Many times, the one who claims to hate drama on a regular basis is the one who is most dramatic, in that they refuse to change who they are in order to be who God wants them to be. There will always be drama when you are outside of God's Will for your life.

There is really only one way out of the dilemma that "friend" is facing: Jesus. If they could but put their focus on Him, start doing what He has commanded us to do, then things would get better. They complain that God doesn't care about them, or has never done anything for them. When they do, I am reminded of what Jesus said:

Matthew 13:15:
" For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."

A person who claims that God has never done anything for them is one who refuses to let God work in their life. God can't do anything with an unwilling soul. But, if God didn't care, Jesus would have never existed.

In plain English: Some people don't want to hear. They don't want help. They are comfortable in their lifestyle, even though it makes them miserable. After all, if they would only listen to those who have found the joy and peace and love and friendship that they want so badly, they might actually see change in their lives. They might actually look forward to tomorrow with gladness. They might actually acknowledge the Power of God in their lives and be successful, happy, at peace, and realize that nothing makes you feel more loved than learning to love right.

We can talk until our lips turn blue, but most of us stop at a certain point and just sit back and watch...because we feel helpless to help anyone who won't help themselves. The best help comes from the One who gave His life for you.