November 5: I am not afraid

Lord, how my foes increase! There are many who attack me. Many say about me, “There is no help for him in God.” But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head. I cry aloud to the Lord, and He answers me from His holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me. I am not afraid of the thousands of people who have taken their stand against me on every side.  (Psalm 3:1-6 — Holman Christian Standard Bible)

This psalm is one of only a few that are linked to actual events in a person’s life. This is a psalm of David when his son Absalom had risen up against him, taken his kingdom away, and run him off. When David says that many are attacking him he could be referring to friends and advisors that turned against him and joined his son. In the end Absalom was killed in battle — which did not please David — and David’s kingdom was restored to him, and his declarations of God’s protection and honor came true. How powerful it is when we declare something by faith in God before it happens… we make it a reality.

David teaches us so many things in this short passage. First of all, when people are saying there’s no hope for us, when we have so many enemies, and so many attacks, our response has to be that God is our shield and that He will lift us up — it’s matter of when, not if. Like in Ephesians 6 when it speaks about the armor of God and the belt of truth, we have to remind ourselves of the basic truth that God has, and will always rescue His children from their enemies, especially when everyone is predicting doom. He doesn’t always stop enemies from attacking, but He always gives us the victory when we trust in Him. This is spiritual logic, not worldly logic, and it works.

Another thing we are taught in this short passage is that we have to cry out to God in times of distress, and then be so sure that He is answering our prayer that we are able to sleep and be fear-free. This kind of prayer is the real-deal. Not all prayers are equal in God’s eyes; many are a waste of His time, while others move Him to the core and obligate Him to act. Some prayers have not even come close to reaching God’s throne, while others are like a fragrant, pleasing incense swirling around His throne. 

David’s prayer was a great prayer because it was answered, and your prayers can be too. Under no circumstances should you be content to feel the same fear and doubt after your prayer as you did before it. We are praying to a mighty, all-compassionate God, and so our prayers have to come true.