Trust Him as Your Shield

“But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; My glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”

Psalm 3:3

When you read the ingredient label for medication, you will often see the words “active ingredient” next to a particular substance.  Often, the active ingredient is less than five percent of the total ingredients in the medication.  That is remarkable.  The remedy is less than five percent of “medicine.”  For most, we don’t understand exactly how the chemistry of medicine works, but we are glad that it does!

Faith is the vital ingredient in a Christ-follower’s life.  Sometimes, it may only be a tiny portion, but it the essential active ingredient in our fellowship with God.  The disciples of Jesus during his earthly ministry sensed this need for even greater faith and asked, “Lord, increase our faith.”  Make our faith a more abundant ingredient in our life!  Away with faithless praying, faithless serving, faithless living!  Let the just live by faith!

Christ-followers are to live a life of faith, but what does that mean in today’s world?  A dear friend has said repeatedly over the last few years, “God’s got this!”  That is faith.  Trusting God is that simple; however, living by faith is not always easy.  Faith is knowing, regardless of impossible circumstances, God has control of the situation.  There have been and will always be events in this world that shake our faith!  As a preacher has said, “The faith that cannot be shaken comes from being shaken!”

In Psalm 3, King David finds himself in an impossible situation.  His son, Absalom, is attempting to violently overthrow him in an attempt to gain the throne of Israel.  David has fled the safety of Jerusalem and is running for his life.  What an awful situation!  At that time, he pens Psalm 3.  What great insights it provides for us today in our impossible situations.

I. Our enemies are always on the move (Psalm 3:1-2)

It is only natural to long for a quiet and peaceful existence.  However, Christ-followers are not promised a peaceable life.  Quite the opposite.  The apostle Paul told young Timothy, “…all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12)  When a Christian decides to live life in a godly manner, the enemy always attacks.

At this point in his life as a middle-aged monarch, David knew this all too well.  What was unexpected for him was that his son would be the leader of a rebellion to depose him.  Absalom had become his father’s enemy, and he was on the move.  “And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.” (2 Samuel 15:12b) 

David saw that he was under attack and cried out, “Lord, how are they increased that trouble me!  Many are they that rise up against me.”  (Psalm 3:1)  Have you felt the “attack” of the enemy and made a similar cry to the Lord?

David continued in Psalm 3:2, “Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God.”  Wow! The enemy told David that there was no hope for him in God.  For a man after God’s own heart, that is a harsh accusation.  Shimei was one of David’s enemies who reminded of his past failures in the matter of Uriah (2 Samuel 16:5-8).  When the enemy goes on the attack, the enemy will always tell you of your past failures!

II. Our God is always a step ahead of our enemy (Psalm 3:3-4)

David declares in verse 3, “But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me;”  What a statement, God is our shield!  Shields are a defensive weapon to repel the enemy’s attack and protect a soldier’s body from injury.  David had faith in God that regardless of the attack, God would shield him and deliver him. 

David continues and says, “…my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”  God was David’s biggest fan, and He is our biggest fan!  When discouragement comes, God comes alongside us and puts his finger under our chin and lifts our head!  When under attack, keep your chin up, and God as a loving father helps us stay encouraged.  God is our shield and our Encourager!

As if that is not enough, then David makes this statement about the Lord, “I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.”  When David cried in prayer, he was confident God would respond!  I am thankful for the first responders in our country.  These men and women risk their lives and well-being to rescue, help and assist those in trouble.  David understood this about the Lord; He was David’s “First Responder”!

III. Our Faith defeats all fear (Psalm 3:5-8)

In simplest terms, faith (in God and His word) is the antidote to our fears.  The more we live in faith, the weaker the foothold fear has in our lives. But the opposite is true as well; when we succumb to fear, our faith cowers.  In this moment of adversity, King David had enormous faith in God, and in the closing verses of Psalm 3, it is on full display.

David first says, “I will rest in His protection.”  He recounts his restful night, “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.”  What a testimony to David’s faith in God’s protection.  When sleep comes to a person, they are in their most vulnerable position, and David trusted that God would sustain him.

David not only trusted the Lord when he was most vulnerable, but the embattled King trusted God when his enemies outnumbered him.  “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.” (Psalm 3:6) Faith squashed his fear!  In Psalm 23, the Shepherd-King of Israel wrote, “…though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”.

Lastly, remembering the many past victories of his life, David resolved and called on the Lord in trust.  Psalm 3:7–8, “Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. (8) Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: Thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” 

What about you today, do you trust Him to go before you and fight your battle?  Wait a minute!  I am not saying you sit back lazily and hope for the best.  I am asking you when you roll out of bed in the morning, do you put your faith in God to lead you to victory?  King David, a man after God’s own heart, certainly shows us how to trust our Savior.