After God’s Heart
I laid me down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
Psalm 3:5 (KJV)
Fear, an ever-present attribute in our lives, should serve as an alarming realization. This realization should awaken you to the sovereignty of God, who is ever-presence in your affairs despite the circumstances. In Psalm 3, King David grumbles while confiding with God about his enemies, but he acknowledges that the outcome rests with God. Remember, David was far from perfection; however, New Testament Scriptures remind us that David was a man after God's heart (Acts 13:22). So, the logical question that I ponder from time to time is how could God still call David a man after His own heart when David committed such terrible sins, including adultery and murder?
David demonstrated faith in God early in his life, even before fighting Goliath of Gath. This foundational faith enabled him to face and defeat his enemies on numerous occasions. David explained this foundational faith when questioned by King Saul. The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. (2 Samuel 17:37) This young David experienced God's control of external outcomes earlier when the odds were not in his favor. This experience led David to challenge Goliath with similar odds of winning because he knew that God could quickly reverse the outcome. Therefore, David realized that the control of external situations rests with God alone. This realization enabled him to exercise faith in God instead of becoming self-reliant later in life.
King David penned this song (Psalm 3), when his favorite son, Absalom, attempted a coup to seize the kingdom from his father. David sensed that the whole country had left him for his son, Absalom. (2 Samuel 15:13) So David had to abandon his throne, temporarily. When he battled his son's army at Ephraim to regain control, some 20K men died. However, King David ordered his troops not to harm Absalom. Fortunately, David's army prevailed, and as Absalom was riding his horse under a tree, his hair became entangled. The horse ran off, leaving Absalom hanging in the air, helpless. One of David's generals, Joab took three spears and thrust them into Absalom's heart. Then ten of Joab's armor-bearers circled Absalom and killed him against King David's command.
Yet, King David still mourned for his son, Absalom, which demonstrated his attribute of forgiveness and love. No doubt, when he writes Psalm 3, he recognizes his odds again while crying out to God for external control.
A Child’s Bedtime Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray to God my soul to take. If I should live for other days, I pray to the Lord to guide my ways. Father, unto thee I pray, Thou hast guarded me all day; Safe I am while in thy sight, Safely let me sleep tonight. Bless my friends; the whole world bless; Help me to learn helpfulness; Keep me every in thy sight; So to all I say good night. by Henry Johnstone
This youthful prayer reminds us who has ultimate control over our circumstances. Despite the situation or enemy we face, we must too become persons after God's own heart through faith by replicating the same Godly attributes of love and forgiveness. Then we, too, can allow God to control the external outcome.