Psalm 3 & 5
Psalm 3
O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying to me,
"There is no help for you in God."
But you, O 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 hill.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.
I am not afraid of ten thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
Rise up, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.
Deliverance belongs to the Lord;
may your blessing be on your people!
Psalm 5
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
my king and my God,
for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evil-doers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house,
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in awe of you.
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies,
make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouths;
their hearts are destruction;
their throats open graves;
they flatter with their tongues.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions
cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name
may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover them with favor as with a shield.
I chose to combine these two passages today because they build off each other. Psalm 3 tells us to trust God in adversity and Psalm 5 is a reminder that God will deliver us from adversity. He promises to deliver us, no matter what we face.
This morning I have found myself spiraling a bit. Thinking of all the unknowns: when will I see my students again? Did I clean everything well enough? What happens if I get sick? Or my mom, or my dad? What happens if someone gets hospitalized? When will I feel comfortable getting out of the house again? What if I accidentally expose my family?
But He hears my voice this morning. He sustains me when I am waking and sleeping. I can rest in peace because He is with me.
Sometimes it feels like this world is winning. It feels like life is rising up all around us, drowning us in pain and grief.
But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
In all this loss, in all this unknown, He is my shield. He lifts my head and calls me His own. Even when I cry out, He still answers me from the heavens. He sustains me every single day, regardless of what I am facing.
Yesterday I shared Exodus 14:14. It was my mantra for the day. He will fight for me, I just need to be still. I need to be still and stop worrying. He will fight for me. He will deliver me. A couple of hours after I posted this verse, a friend mailed me a letter. Guess what verse was inside this letter? Exodus 14:14. I have it posted on my fridge now, reminding me that He will always fight for me, I need only to be still. And how extraordinary that He knew this is what I needed to hear. That He would give me this verse twice in one day to remind me of His faithfulness.
Even in the face of so much uncertainty and doubts, even when my own anxiety causes me to spiral, He is still with me. In the morning (every morning), He hears my voice. He blesses us and watches over us.
I don't know what the future holds. I don't know what will happen. But I do know that He will lead me in His righteousness. He will fight for me. I will continue to meditate, pray and reflect on His word every day - in awe of all that He is. He will make His way straight before me, and cover me with His perfect love.
O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying to me,
"There is no help for you in God."
But you, O 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 hill.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.
I am not afraid of ten thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
Rise up, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.
Deliverance belongs to the Lord;
may your blessing be on your people!
Psalm 5
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
my king and my God,
for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evil-doers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house,
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in awe of you.
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies,
make your way straight before me.
For there is no truth in their mouths;
their hearts are destruction;
their throats open graves;
they flatter with their tongues.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions
cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name
may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover them with favor as with a shield.
I chose to combine these two passages today because they build off each other. Psalm 3 tells us to trust God in adversity and Psalm 5 is a reminder that God will deliver us from adversity. He promises to deliver us, no matter what we face.
This morning I have found myself spiraling a bit. Thinking of all the unknowns: when will I see my students again? Did I clean everything well enough? What happens if I get sick? Or my mom, or my dad? What happens if someone gets hospitalized? When will I feel comfortable getting out of the house again? What if I accidentally expose my family?
But He hears my voice this morning. He sustains me when I am waking and sleeping. I can rest in peace because He is with me.
Sometimes it feels like this world is winning. It feels like life is rising up all around us, drowning us in pain and grief.
But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
In all this loss, in all this unknown, He is my shield. He lifts my head and calls me His own. Even when I cry out, He still answers me from the heavens. He sustains me every single day, regardless of what I am facing.
Yesterday I shared Exodus 14:14. It was my mantra for the day. He will fight for me, I just need to be still. I need to be still and stop worrying. He will fight for me. He will deliver me. A couple of hours after I posted this verse, a friend mailed me a letter. Guess what verse was inside this letter? Exodus 14:14. I have it posted on my fridge now, reminding me that He will always fight for me, I need only to be still. And how extraordinary that He knew this is what I needed to hear. That He would give me this verse twice in one day to remind me of His faithfulness.
Even in the face of so much uncertainty and doubts, even when my own anxiety causes me to spiral, He is still with me. In the morning (every morning), He hears my voice. He blesses us and watches over us.
I don't know what the future holds. I don't know what will happen. But I do know that He will lead me in His righteousness. He will fight for me. I will continue to meditate, pray and reflect on His word every day - in awe of all that He is. He will make His way straight before me, and cover me with His perfect love.
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