O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. 2 So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” Interlude[a]
3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. 4 I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude
5 I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. 6 I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.
7 Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked! 8 Victory comes from you, O Lord. May you bless your people. Psalm 3
Psalm 3 is powerful in its own right, but when read in conjunction with David’s “why” for penning the Psalm, it becomes even more powerful. The Psalm opens this way, “O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.” David wrote this Psalm as a result of his son Absalom attempting to overtake the throne.
Absolom was crafty, he stole the hearts of the people and planned a revolt. One would think that David, the mighty warrior that he was would’ve stood tall and defended his throne….. but he did the opposite. He fled!
I want us to understand this principle: you won’t always have to fight. Sometimes fleeing is necessary, not because you’re running FROM anyone or anything, but because you’re running TO God. The enemy realizes that if he can keep you fighting, he can keep you from praying, worshipping, and even your purpose. David was attacked, under siege, and he chose to flee and wrote Psalm 3 to help us when we face these same types of situations.
Friends, you don’t always have to respond. You don’t have to attend an argument just because you were invited. You won’t need to always have the last word. Flee from the unnecessary battles, run to God, and let Him shield you. This week remember verse 4, “But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.” Psalm 3:4