He was surrounded. He was on the run. He was hiding. Often.

In Psalm 3:1, David said that they who were troubling him had increased – and that MANY rose up against him. Psalm 3:6 indicates it was an army of around 10,000. That’s a big number!

I know the feeling, David. I know the feeling.

It reminds me of what many days in my life seem to hold.

It also reminded me of the arcade game Whack-a-Mole. You have a weapon – a soft rubber mallet. You use it to whack a mole on the head as he pops up at random times. But… as soon as you get that mole whacked and out of your way, another one pops up. And another one. And then another one. And before you know it, the original troublemaking mole pops up again. I have never seen anyone quit the game. The only way the battle ends is when your time runs out.

Yes, David was in the middle of a time when the enemy was on the move and trouble was coming from every direction.

As king, he had an army he could have sent out, but he knew his stronger power was calling on the Lord. Instead of choosing hopelessness, he chose to go to his Helper.

The Helper showed up as David cried out in Psalm 3:3 –

Thou, Oh, Lord, art a shield for me! It does not say the Lord GAVE him a shield. It said the Lord IS his shield. This shield was a buckler that went above, beneath, around, without, and within. That’s what I would call full coverage.

Lord, You are my glory! If we belong to God, we can have faith we will be triumphant – and have grace to see our future glory in the midst of our present suffering.

Lord, You are the lifter of my head! Have you ever been to a place in life where you did not even want to lift your head – maybe because of sadness, sickness or shame? Envision this: The Lord is the One who lifts our head – it’s a personal touch!

David’s personal prayer received a personal answer.

Sometimes, we may feel like we are whacking the mole.

Sometimes, we may feel like we are the mole that is being whacked.

But, no matter the circumstance:

The Lord’s shield surrounds -and brings us protection.

The Lord’s glory embraces – and brings us His promises.

The Lord’s lifting of our heads – brings us peace.

So, what happened in the next 3 verses – Psalm 3: 4-6?

David’s personal prayer received a personal answer:

He cried unto the Lord and the Lord heard him.

He laid down and slept.
The Lord sustained him.
He was not afraid of the 10,000.

Ann is a speaker and teacher. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com