Psalm 3 Devotional Study

 Psalm 3 Devotional Study

Published: November 4, 2024, Monday

 

Daily Word and Thought Journal (By: Yusun Beck)

Psalm 3

“  1O LORD, how ^(A)my adversaries have increased!
         Many are rising up against me.
    2Many are saying of my soul,
         "There is no ^(B)deliverance for him in God." ^[a]Selah.
    3But You, O LORD, are ^(C)a shield about me,
         My ^(D)glory, and the One who ^(E)lifts my head.
    4I was crying to the LORD with my voice,
         And He ^(F)answered me from ^(G)His holy mountain. Selah.
    5I ^(H)lay down and slept;
         I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.
    6I will ^(I)not be afraid of ten thousands of people
         Who have ^(J)set themselves against me round about.
    7^(K)Arise, O LORD; ^(L)save me, O my God!
         For You have ^(M)smitten all my enemies on the cheek;
         You have ^(N)shattered the teeth of the wicked.
    8^(O)Salvation belongs to the LORD;
         Your ^(P)blessing be upon Your people! Selah.”  (Quoted from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%203;&version=49;)

 

My life is like seventy times seven winter seasons just waiting for that one summer season.  It will come, but I must overcome these many obstacles, and the ones who will overcome are those who trust in Christ.  There are many adversaries.  Each one will attack you at your heart.  Victory comes from those who trust in Christ to sustain them.  God is the only deliverance from this life.  Things won’t be perfect, or even good; in fact, you may lose your life.  God is there though, and eternal life is your reward.  God will stop the adversaries.

 

Adversaries like the death, our sin, Satan, the pride of life, rejection, loneliness, the lust of the flesh, idols, and worldly desires will come.  They want to steal, kill, and destroy.  God won’t let them though.  Our enemies are not flesh and bone, for they are the prince of the air and the principalities that hunt us down.  This is what makes our entire lifetime a recurring season of winter.  God is the end of our selves and the winter.  We need not fear death even.

 

Perhaps the worst enemy is death.  Our lives come to focus on fearing and defeating death, but Christ already did that.  We need not be afraid of the one who can take the body because Christ can take a man’s soul.  We need not fear Christ if we love Him.  This is not saying a mission of fear, but it is a mission of love.  If it is our sin that separates us from God, then let it be Christ sacrifice that puts us in line near God.

 

Our sin is probably our next worst enemy.  Sin is insidious because people play with it not realizing that it is the worst plague to ever hit mankind.  This is what allowed death to come to us all.  This is what separates us from God.  This is why Jesus had to pay for us.  This is what pollutes us worse than any Twinkie or any fat.  This is what Satan plays on.

 

Satan’s jealousy is nothing to fear from those who have Christ.  However, he is a roaring lion.  Satan is behind the spirit of the antichrist.  When we play with sin, we give Satan a foothold in our lives.  The question I would pose is this, “Is Satan our worst enemy, or are we our own worst enemy since we allow Satan in our lives.”  What can he do to God’s children without permission?  It is sometimes the pride of life that makes give in.

 

The pride of life is one that entangles us.  It gives Satan a cover.  It hides our sin.  It makes us fear death.  What comes from this life without God?  Is it more fulfilling to drink and party your life away in misery, or to serve God in pain?  Both things are going to cause you hard times.  And then, no matter which side you are own, you will still get collateral damage from others who sin.  Consider the end result for both things.  Rejection and loneliness will come to the faithful, and the pride of life will use things like this to tear you apart.

 

Rejection and loneliness go hand and hand though.  Rejection comes just for being different.  Who do you stand with?  Loneliness is a state of mind.  There are many types too.  You can feel both rejected and lonely by the same categories.  The categories are God, family, friends, associates, and social.  I would hope that no man who ever loves God feels lonely of God.  This is like a pain that no man should have.  Family rejection means a person has no home or blood ties to start or base from.  Friends are like added strands to a braided rope.  Associates are your people that you daily interact with.  The social aspect is to feel rejected or alone from society.  Rejection or loneliness from any of these sources can be detrimental.  Fortunately, with God, loneliness and rejection doesn’t matter because God loves you no matter what.  It is us that put ourselves on enmity with God.  We let the lust of the flesh, idols, and worldly desires take God’s place.  We can not do this though because these things will steal, kill, and destroy us.  Victory comes from those who trust in Christ.

 

Many are our adversaries, but God has a plan.  It is our obstacles in life that will bring God greater glory.  With joy, we must face these obstacles.  Many will rise up to hurt us.  We must continue to trust in Christ.  For there are many pitfalls in life, but God provides a rope to stay out of life’s pitfalls.  Love God and be faithful.  Keep a focus on God because God will sustain you.