GOD WHO SUSTAINS US
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Opening Prayer
Show me things I need to learn about myself, Father—where I need to trust you more and where I need to follow you more closely.
Read PSALM 3
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Psalm 3[a]
A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.
1 Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.”[b]
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.
Footnotes
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What is your natural response when the trials of life seem to mount up one upon the other?The great King David experienced his fair share of struggles in his life: bullying from his brothers, attempts on his life from King Saul, the death of some of his children, and betrayal from his sons, to name just some. It is this last wound that is the painful context for Psalm 3—the jealousy and greed of his son Absalom, which led him to try to take his father’s throne (see 2 Samuel 13–19).
The context may be traumatic, but David, in all this pain, is able to lift his eyes to the Lord and see God’s profound care. To him, God is a ‘shield’ and the one who ‘lifts’ him up (v. 3). He is a personal God who not only hears the prayers of the king but ‘answers’ them too (v. 4). This personal care extends to giving him the breath he needs to live each day. If David wakes each morning it is ‘because the Lord sustains me’ (v. 5). David sees that although he may be the king of God’s chosen people, he is still reliant on God for every breath that leaves his lungs. He is sustained by God during struggle and challenge, joy and delight.
Apply
Is there a situation in your life where you find it difficult to trust God completely?
Closing prayer
No matter where I find myself today, Lord, thank you for your constant and intimate care for me. Thank you—you are the One who sustains me.
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