Hello friends and neighbors..but who is my neighbor? Well...everyone is...including you.
"Lord...how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul. There is no help for him in God. SELAH. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. SELAH. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of then thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God; for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord; thy blessing is upon thy people. SELAH." (Psalm 3:1-8)
Got troubles? Who doesn't? King David certainly did. Absolom...David's son stole his kingdom...David fleed for his life...and his son was in pursuit. This is the inspiriation for this blues song...that was played upon the psaltry (stringed instrument).
NOTE: I have always felt that the Psalms (especially the lament Psalms)...were some of the first blues songs recorded (written down). You can almost hear the pulling strings of a bluesman's guitar moaning. Psalm 3 could have been entitled...I GOT DEM NO GOOD, LOW DOWN, NITTY GRITTY ABSOLOM BLUES. It starts with stolen kingdom by David's son...treachery...intrique...suspense and action...and death. It makes Dallas, Falcon Crest and Dynasty (T.V. night time soap opera) appear as if they were Sunday School.
David's Psalm...is a great model for what we can do when we are faced with INCREASED TROUBLE.
1. Lord
NOTE: Go to the solution to your problem. The word Lord means the one in control...especially when things are out of control.
2. How are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.
NOTE: State the problem to the Lord. David was not denying the reality of the problem.
3. Many there be which say of my soul...there is no help for him in God.
NOTE: People that are NOT in the middle of what you are going through...will shake their heads, cluck their tongues...and give their arm chair quarterback analysis of your situation. You can come into agreement with what they say...or you can trump reality by confessing what God says about you and your situation/circumstance/troubles.
4. SELAH.
NOTE: Musical interlude and pause #1. There are many perspectives on this word...selah (say-la or see-la). It appears aroudn 71 times in David's Psalms. It means to pause, reflect, with or without a a musical interlude. Again...I can hear David...playing the blues...in this lament. So...David says...pause and reflect the troubles...think about who is pronouncing the negative upon your situation and your potential outcome. But David...did not stay here...he proceded with a BUT.
5. BUT
NOTE: This is a contrast to what the problem is (we don't deny reality)...an a contrast to what others are saying.
6. Thou O Lord (the one in control)...art a shield for me.
NOTE: We have "the shield of faith". "Above all...taking the SHIELD OF FAITH with which you will be able to quench all the FIERY DATS OF THE WICKED ONE." (Ephesians 6:16). Notice we must TAKE the shield of faith...the shield of the substance of things hoped for...the evidence of things not revealed to the senses." (Hebrews 11:1).
7. My glory and the lifter up of mine head.
NOTE: When you are troubled...the posture is usually one of defeat, slumped shoulders, head down. So we have one who will lift us up. In karate...one of the things we are taught is to keep your head up, your eyes on the target, your focus intact. Where your eyes are looking...is where you kicks/punches will go. Looking down...kick down. In the BULLY BUSTER class...the young children are taught to walk with confidence, looking up (aware of your surroundings) and looking into the eyes of everyone. This can prevent many problems if you don't have a VICTIMS MENTALITY. The Lord will lif your head up.
8. I cried unto the Lord (the one in control) with my voice...and he heard me (my crying out voice) out of his holy hill.
NOTE: Prayer...communication with God...about what is happening to you is a good place to be. The cause and effect of this spiritual interpersonal communication is that God hears you.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE when you are SURROUNDED.
9. SELAH.
NOTE: The second pause and musical interlude to be used to take time and reflect who your help really is in your increased trouble. Play dem blues...David.
10. I WILL NOT be afraid of then thousands of people...that have set themselves against me round about.
NOTE: With the shield of faith in held in place...with the divine link of communication with the answer to our needed deliveance from increased trouble...we begin to make DECLARATIONS OF FAITH...not based on the circumstance...but based on the solution...when there is not visible solution taking place.
11. Arise O Lord...SAVE ME...O my God.
NOTE: Again....specific requests...(1) arise (2) save me. Specific requests to the only one who could SAVE him.
12. For thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheek bone...thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly
NOTE: God dealing with those that increasingly troubling, rising up against him...will and are being dealt with.
13. Salvation belongeth (King James for belongs) unto the LORD. Thy blessing is upon thy people.
NOTE: Salvation..in the Hebrew is "yeshuah" which is where we get the name Joshua (salvation) and Jesus (God is salvation). The word SALVATION means in the Hebrew and the Greek means: something saved, deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity, deliverance, health, help, safety, rescue.
This SALVATION in the face of INCREASING TROUBLE...belongs to the Lord...and when we turn to Him...it belongs to us.
14. Thy BLESSING upon thy people.
NOTE: Blessing...berakah (ber -aw-kaw) means a benediction...prosperity...blessing, liberal, pool, presence. David ends this Psalm with a prayer for...not just him...but a prayer for blessing upon the people.
15. SELAH
NOTE: This is the 3rd and final...musical interlude for the singers and readers of this Psalm... to meditate, contemplate, ruminate upon.
FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY.
Well...whatever you are going through...this is a great song to think about...and begin to sing and proclaim...instead of just rolling over and playing dead as you enemies surround you. Don't deny the problem...because they are real...but do deny the reality/problem right to rule you. Truth TRUMPS reality...and according to John 17:17 as Jesus prayed for us..."Sanctify them by TRUTH...THY WORD IS TRUTH."
Love and Decreasing Trouble Kisses
Rodney "Shields Up" Boyd
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