October Extra: Musing on the Psalms (1)

"But thou O Lord art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of mine head" Psalm 3:3

I always remember a song composed from this passage of scripture. The very first time I heard that song was in 2002. It was at a time I was preparing for one of the toughest exams in Medical School back then. The words of the song captured my heart as I went through such a momentous period in my life.

Permit me to shed more light on the terms David used to describe God in this verse:

Shield: the original word means more than a shield used by a soldier. It's like the scaly skin of a crocodile. It's an all-round protection-in front, behind, above, beneath. What a shield our God is for His people.

Glory: more accurately the source of my glory, the one I can boast in. 

Lifter up of mine head: the one who raises me up from despondency, the one who makes me rise up again in a difficult situation, the one who picks me up from the ashes of gloom and causes me to smile again.

In all, this verse is an expression of confidence. God should be our confidence. Not anything or anyone else. As human beings living in this world, we are very often tempted to place our confidence in other things. Perhaps things we can see, feel, touch or physically experience in some way.

Most times we are drawn to have confidence in our perceived strengths or we feel confident in areas in which we feel we have an advantage over others. Some women have confidence in their beauty, some men in their physical strength. It could be intelligence, or for some people education. For others, it's their "connections" while for others perhaps wealth or even parentage or ethnic origin.

Sometimes we start off in an endeavor placing our confidence in God and we experience some measure of success. We then subtly replace our confidence in God with confidence in our own ability. It is a thread that runs through the fabric of all areas of our lives. For instance as a preacher and teacher of the Word, an ever present temptation for me is that I may begin to trust in my own personal ability to teach or speak rather than trusting in God’s ability to touch people’s hearts by His own ability. 

Muse with me on this Psalm for a moment and learn to place your confidence in God. There is no better shield, no greater succour, support and shade than Him. There is no better boast: "...let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches..." "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord". Jeremiah 9:23, 1 Corinthians 1:31.

This week face all your tasks with this confidence. Fill your heart and mind with trust in God's ability to come through in any and every aspect of your life. Look away from your perceived strengths or weaknesses. Say with David "Thou O Lord art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of mine head".

  Thou art a shield by Byron Cage