Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

1. “ O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me.” (1) David understands the situation correctly; the rebellion against him is very strong. “ Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum.” (2 Sam. 15:12) Faith looks directly and honestly at the obstacle, it does not dismiss the facts or the challenge. 2. “ So many are saying, ‘God will never rescue him!” (2) The crisis of faith is where we must choose whom we will believe; what many people are saying or the promise and integrity of God. Our soul can be overwhelmed with ‘so many enemies…so many against me…so many who say…’ we forget that the battle is the Lord’s and in the heavenly realms, there are more for us than those who are against us. Much research has been spent on this little word that is mentioned 72 times in the Psalms. This is a word that is largely lost to antiquity; it’s meaning was not clearly handed down to us from the original writers. On one point most agree, this is a musical meditation, a time in worship and prayer where we think reflectively of how God is related to our situation. It is most likely a place where the instruments played and the listeners let their hearts be refreshed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Every person needs a continual flow of ‘Selahs’, spiritual interludes of worshipful meditation. David inserted three of them during the most trying time of his life! “ Interlude.” (Hebrew: Selah) David does two vital things as he is faced with disaster; he confesses his confidence in God and he cries out from the anguish of his soul. Both are necessary as one addresses what we know to be true and the other addresses our absolute dependency upon God. The key word that turns the whole perspective of this psalm is ‘ but you, O Lord… ’. He declares three intimate things that God is to him: 1. “ But you, O Lord, are a shield around me,… ” This is not the small shield worn upon the forearm, but the shield that protects the entire body. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:16 “I n every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. ” 2. “ my glory… ” The shield is around him but ‘my glory’ refers to the one who lives within him. In a sense David is confessing that the glory of God that inhabits his life is greater than the darkness that in- habits the world around him. 3. “ …and the one who lifts my head high. ” As David experiences an ‘ Interlude ’ and meditates upon God, the Lord lifts his head so he can cry out in prayer. II A SHIELD AROUND ME The Confession of Faith- (3,4)

“ I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.

Interlude”(4)

The confession does not diminish the importance of crying out to the Lord. His holy mountain is re- ferring to both Mount Zion in Jerusalem, the place of worship David had established where people could seek God in their time of trouble, and the heavenly mountain that is now accessible to all who pray.

III SLEPT IN SAFETY - The Certainty of Faith- (5-8)

The Rest of Faith

“ I lay down and slept. I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.”(5)

David fled from Jerusalem eastward to Mahanaim where Shobi, an Ammonite, welcomed him. Shobi had brought him sleeping mats and food: “ They brought sleeping mats, cooking pots…roasted grain…honey butter, sheep, and cheese for David…For they said, ‘You must all be very tired and hun- gry and thirsty after your long march through the wilderness. ” David slept soundly the night before his army battled the army of his rebellious son. He was experiencing the ‘rest of faith’, the peace of God that comes with believing in his promises and love.

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