Psalm 3 paints a picture of a man crying out for God’s help, and how God helps and protects him.

The first two verses detail the Psalmist’s initial cry to God, telling Him how hopeless he is, and he tells God how people say that God cannot help him. These two verses paint a bleak picture; someone so alone, surrounded by troubles.

Now, in most Bibles you will see the word “Selah”. This, according to scholars, is best translated as “stop and listen”, carrying a strong implication that we should stop and consider what we have just read. So, pause, and consider what the Psalmist is saying. He says that his troubles are increasing, and that people say that God cannot save him. Doesn’t that sound like life today? More and more, people say that God cannot help us, or God doesn’t exist. If the Psalm ended here, it would be a bleak Psalm, BUT, it doesn’t.

The next verse describes God as a Shield, and as one who lifts up his head. The Psalmist then describes how he called unto God, and how God heard him.

There is another Selah intermission, so again, reflect, consider, examine the previous 2 verses. God hears us when we cry out to Him, even when the rest of the world says He won’t. Isn’t that great? No matter how bad things get, no matter how much worse they look like they’re getting, God will hear us when we cry out to Him.

The Psalmist concludes by describing how God has protected him, and how he will not be afraid of his enemies.

The Psalm ends with Selah, so, one more time, read back over the Psalm, stopping to examine it, and to meditate on it. The Psalmist said he has lain down and slept, because he was protected by God. That is a powerful picture. Look at the previous verses, he is surrounded by troubles, and yet, with the knowledge that God is protecting him, he is able to sleep, without fear. How many of us have faith enough to depend on God, without worrying about what is around us?

The Psalmist says with 10,000 people around him, he would not fear, for he cries out for God’s help, and God protects him. He describes what God has done to his enemies, and ends by saying that salvation belongs to God, and asks God’s blessing on His people.

So, how about us? Do we cry out to God when we are surrounded by troubles? Do we have faith that, no matter what men may say, that God will save us? Do we have the peace in God that we can feel safe, knowing that he is protecting us?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 19th, 2006 at 8:33 pm and is filed under Devotionals, Psalms. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.