Advent Reflections on Psalm 3
Psalm 3 opens, “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’” Biblical scholars and historians tell us that David wrote this psalm when he fled to escape from his rebellious son Absalom’s plot to succeed him as king. Absalom had convinced several to change their allegiance and join him in ousting his father from his kingship and from God’s plan of succession. It is likely that this psalm wasn’t written in the moment of David’s escape, but more likely upon his reflection of what God did to save him and to calm his fears.
In the season of Advent, and honestly quite often throughout the year, we have many foes that rise up against us. The enemy of God wants us to be distracted from our mission, our worship, and fearful of many things. Satan knows that if we are filled with anxiety, we will be distracted and discouraged about the things God calls us to do in life, at work, in ministry, and with our family.
Advent is a good time to do exactly what David did. It is also what Jesus did when he was on earth. When we see distractions and opposition around us that interfere with our worship and our life’s calling, we can follow what King David did and what Jesus did: cry out to the Lord. He will answer us in our times of need.
Did you notice that you woke up this morning? The psalmist reminds us that the reason we woke up today is because the Lord sustained us. God keeps his promises every time. And Christmas is a great reminder that He does. All through the Old Testament scriptures, we read the prophecies of a coming Messiah. Isaiah told us that our savior would come as a baby. And in this season, we pause to reflect and offer our gratitude and praise to God for the gift of our Savior.
In the gospels we see Jesus doing what David did and what we can do as we follow his example. We call out to the Lord earnestly and confidently because we know he will respond. He will grant us sleep, wake us up, and sustain us throughout our lives and into his presence in eternity.
We may not be able to stop the distractions from coming or the enemy’s attacks, but what we can do is call out to the Lord and know that he will be present with us.
Father, we confess our frequent distractions even in the season when we celebrate the gift of our Savior. We confess that you are our shield, our glory, and the one who lifts our head each day. Grant us sleep and wake us up each day, that we might serve you by loving and serving those around us. We will not be afraid because you are with us and have paid the price that defeated our enemy. Thank you for the gift of Jesus our Savior. In his name we pray, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Psalm 3:1-8; Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV
Photo by Photo by Viktoriia Kondratiuk
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