Psalm 3 Devotional

A Shield All Around

“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.”Psalm 3:5 (BSB)

The heading of Psalm 3 places it at one of the lowest points in David's life, as he flees from his own son Absalom (3:1). Enemies multiply, and many say that God will not rescue him (3:2). That may be the sharpest attack of all: not the swords, but the claim that God has given up on him.

David answers by speaking to God directly. The LORD is a shield around him, his glory, the one who lifts his head (3:3). He cries out, and God answers (3:4). Then comes a remarkable line. He lies down, sleeps, and wakes again, because the LORD holds him up (3:5). Nothing in his circumstances has changed yet. But sleep has become an act of trust, an admission that he cannot keep himself safe through the night and does not need to. The psalm ends where all rescue begins: salvation belongs to the LORD (3:8). You can lie down tonight with problems unsolved, kept by the Protector who never slumbers (Psalm 121:4).

To think about: What problem are you carrying to bed tonight that you could place in the hands of the LORD who sustains you?