“Things couldn’t possibly get worse.”
While this refrain is common, it is also usually proven untrue. Often it is uttered just before things take a turn and a person finds themselves in worse shape than they had been previously. We have expectations of how life will go and when life fails to meet our expectations, we assume we have hit the roughest part of the road. Frequently though, the bumpy journey has only begun.
I imagine that this is how David felt when his son staged a coup and attempted to take over his kingdom (2 Sam. 15-17) . I don’t know that there is much that could prepare a parent for this turn of events and he had to wonder where along the path he took a wrong turn. However, despite the direness of the situation, as David fled for his life he followed his normal practice of pouring out his heart to God. As a result, he recorded the words in Psalm 3. This short, eight-verse outcry can provide great encouragement and instruction for when we, like David, feel like things are as bad as they possibly could be.
One thing that we can quickly note is that David took his concerns to God. The mere fact that he wrote this Psalm even as his life was threatened is worthy of commendation. Most of us would probably be worried about figuring out how we were going to escape and what we would do in exile. David, instead, took his thoughts and concerns to his Heavenly Father. He didn’t know what to do, but he knew Who he should turn to.
The second thing that David did is recognized God’s sovereignty over the situation. David didn’t live in some imaginative world where everything was butterflies and sunshine; he acknowledged how bad the situation was (v. 1-2). Yet, he also was quick to acknowledge that God was in charge (v. 3). The direness of his circumstance didn’t reduce God’s divinity. David confidently trusted God and relied on Him in the midst of danger.
Additionally, although David’s life was being threatened, he acknowledged the good hand of God on his life. He forthrightly states that the fact that he woke up that morning was a result of God’s work in his life (v. 5). When things are overwhelming, it may be difficult to reflect on how God has been kind – yet David does so even for something that many of us would consider “to be expected.” David knew if God were to remove His hands of grace from his life then he would cease to live so the fact that he saw a new day was evidence of His mercy and love.
Lastly, David’s attention was not focused on his circumstances but on God who he trusted and served. He acknowledged that God would provide salvation (v.8) – even if David didn’t know the particular means by which He would do so. He saw beyond his condition and trusted that God was at work. He was running for his life and yet he could confidently say to God that “your blessing be on your people” (v. 8). David had a long-term view and knew that God had made promises for David’s kingdom and for the people of Israel. Despite all the forces that may seem to be acting contrary to these promises, David trusted that God would be proven to be true to His Word.
We may not ever face a circumstance as dire as David’s, but we all will face times where the future seems uncertain and we are tempted to be overwhelmed by what we encounter. In those moments, the lessons of Psalm 3 can be of great encouragement and hope. For when we feel like the world is closing in, we too can take our concerns to God, acknowledge His sovereignty over our situation, recognize His kindness on our lives, and put our focus on His promises rather than our conditions. In other words, when the world closes in, we can, and should, draw near to God. He proved Himself faithful in David’s life, and will do so in the lives of His other children as well.
