Turn Over the Battle
King David of Israel wrote the third psalm in the book of Psalms when the city of Jerusalem was under attack by the armies of Absalom, the king’s son. David, the father, was being chased out of the capital city of Israel’s kingdom by his son. What a horrible situation to have to endure. David must have been torn up inside. His psalm shows he was under tremendous stress and needed God’s encouragement and intervention.
“How many are my foes?” is how the psalm starts. More of a statement than a question, David wanted to make sure the Almighty knew about his adversaries. The king must have felt as though the whole world was stacked up against him.
But in verse three we see a different perspective from David. He acknowledges God's sovereignty in his life. He recognizes his Lord as the One who supports and sustains him. In fact, it was because of his God that the king could “lift my head high.” Even while retreating from his own son’s army, David could see God was with him.
In verse five, the psalmist proclaims God’s goodness, for he could sleep! David was definitely in a tough position. But the king attributes his good sleeping to the right person, his Sustainer.
David finishes his psalm by giving the battle to the Lord. In our own Christian walk, we need to acknowledge where our help comes from - it comes from the Lord. No matter the circumstances around us, it is essential to set our focus on God. We must acknowledge Him as our sustainer and the lifter of our heads. We need to turn over control and give the battle to our God.
