Where To Turn When The World Is Against You
Daily Old Testament Reading: Psalm 3, 2 Samuel 13-15
Daily Focus Passage: Psalm 3
Have you ever felt the entire world is against you? Have you ever thought that no one was on your side? Have you ever felt broken and hurt as those closest to you turn against you and seek to destroy you? These realities occur in everyone's life and some point. These moments bring pain, hurt, uncertainty, and often confusion. In Psalm 3, David pours out his heart before the Lord because his son, Absalom, has turned against him and seeks to overthrow David as king. This Psalm demonstrates how a follower of Christ must turn to the Lord in times of struggle and seek him entirely and openly.
SHARE YOUR FEELINGS WITH GOD
The Lord desires to hear from his own. He wants us to share our emotions and feelings with him even though he already knows them. In the first two verses of Psalm 3, David cries out to the Lord from desperation. He laments how the world seems to have turned against him and that he is confused by their abandonment. David describes his feelings as producing the state of thinking the world seeks the worst for him. David has the right to share these feelings with the Lord because the Lord genuinely desires to hear from his children.
David's approach models how we must approach the Lord when sharing the depths of our feelings. David's approach did not include complaining about his current state. David's words do not extend as a complaint, but instead, the words used to express the true emotions of the heart. At the same time, David did not accuse the Lord of causing the situation. Instead of accusing the Lord, he sought the Lord for help and guidance. David modeled the importance of honestly approaching the Lord concerning his feelings and frustrations. Thus, David showed that we are responsible for sharing our feelings with the Lord in an open and honest nature as we seek the Lord for guidance and help.
PLACE YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD
David placed complete trust in the Lord during his time of pain. David trusted the Lord as his shield. The idea of the shield paints the portrait of the shield that covers one from head to toe. David declares that his trust in the Lord means that he trusts in the complete protection of the Lord. As a result, we must strive for the same level of trust in the Lord. We must trust him to shield us from the fiery arrows of the evil one and the storms faced in life.
David trusted in the Lord as his sustainer. David understands that the Lord provides the needed strength to overcome his battles. No struggle or hindrance is greater than the Lord, so David holds that the Lord provides the ability to stand firmly despite the stormy moments of life. He trusts that the Lord is the needed Warrior King who claims victory on our behalf. Thus, we must strive to trust the Lord as our needed sustainer to overcome, endure, and claim victory in the most difficult moments.
ASK FOR THE LORD'S HELP
In the final verses of Psalm 3, David demonstrates the importance of asking the Lord for help. David comes to this asking for aid after acknowledging his emotions and declaring his trust in the Lord. David's first request is to ask God to move in the situation and to help him navigate the dynamics. David trusts the Lord to support his asking of the Lord to work. David understands the Lord is far more than a listening buddy but the one true God who moves and works in people's lives. Thus, David felt certainty in asking for help from the Lord. Today, we must know the importance of seeking and asking the Lord for help.
David continues to make requests before the Lord in asking for the Lord's blessing. David recognizes that nothing is worth anything without the blessing of the Lord. David's request extended beyond himself as he desired the Lord's blessing upon the people. His declaration centers on the truth that the Lord alone is the one who brings salvation. The same knowledge propels us today to request the Lord's blessing. We must understand that the Lord alone is the one who brings salvation and that without the Lord, nothing is worth anything.
David experienced the hardship of having people turn their back on him. He had his son attempting to overthrow his rule. David experienced great pain and hardship and held every reason to complain in the eyes of people. Yet, David modeled how to navigate these moments in life by going to the Lord. David did not allow his hurt to turn to bitterness or anger. Instead, he trusted the Lord to work and trusted the Lord for healing.
