Psalm 3

Chronologically, this poem goes in somewhere around 2 Samuel 15 or 16. David is running for his life, but he is assured and confident in his God.

A lot of military terminology. To be expected of a man of war. David expresses himself well in both military and shepherding terms -- the strong protector and the gentle, loving caregiver.

How sad to be at the point where people will say that God won't even save you. Many had turned against the king at this point. Yet David sleeps like a baby. The worries of life -- EVEN DEATH AT THE HANDS OF TENS OF THOUSANDS -- do not get to him. He is confident that as he awakes, God will deliver him. Boice points out that "Arise, my Lord" was a war cry, spoken when the Ark was taken out to lead the Israelites into battle. An interesting use here.

"From the Lord comes deliverance." In one way or another. Yet too many times we want deliverance as David experienced. We want earthly victory... military victory. We want to see our enemies with their teeth broken out, but we don't always get that deliverance in that fashion. We get it on God's terms. Even in his deliverance, it is HE who is doing the delivering in our best interest, not according to our wildest dreams.