Introduction

This psalm was written to help us through those times when others may come against us. David was experiencing a very difficult time in his life, and so he wrote this psalm as his prayer to God for help. There may be times in your life when others come against you, whether on the job, among family members, in school, or even in the church. It is during those times of distress that we can come to this psalm and cry out to God as David did.

We all face times of trouble. It seems what was written in Job 5:7 is still true for us today, “Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” It is part of our human condition that things don’t always go the way we want them to go. It is important to remember that a person is not defined by the amount of trouble they have experienced in their life. Rather, a person is defined by how they respond to that trouble. Do we meet difficulties with faith or with despair? Do we place our trust in God or abandon all hope? Do we respond to circumstances with calm assurance or with agonizing worry? David made a choice how he would respond to his conflict. We each will make choices. Let’s make sure our choices involve God.

Title A Psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

Title -- When does the title say David wrote this psalm? Read 2 Samuel 15:1-16:7 to get a background for this psalm. From this reading of 2 Samuel, what is your overall impression of how David must have felt?

It seems that Absalom knew that David intended Solomon to be heir of the throne. So Absalom conspired to gain the favor of the people and remove his father. At the outbreak of this rebellion David and his court had to flee for safety while they organized a counter attack. As David left Jerusalem and the surrounding towns, some of the people cried, some pledged support, but others decried his rule and taunted him. It is human nature for us to be hurt the most by those who come against us.

As seems apparent, most of Israel loved David and supported him, but all he could think about was those who conspired against him. This must have been especially difficult since the pain came from his own family members. We are hurt the most by those whom we care about the best.

1 O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!

vs 1 -- Who were David’s foes? Why would this make it especially difficult for him to cope? How do you feel when people that are close to you come against you?

Notice how David describes his foes in verse 1, “O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!” Is that the way you feel? Are you engulfed by menacing circumstances? Has your joy been overshadowed by people’s criticisms or complaints? This is the way David felt. His friends had become his enemies, his kingdom was being stolen from him, and his life was in danger.

If you feel the same anguish as David, take comfort from this psalm. God did deliver David and did restore his kingdom. God loves you just as much as he loved King David. God will deliver you from whatever difficulty you may be facing.

2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah

vs 2 -- Why would this taunt be especially painful? Have you ever felt abandoned by God?

From verse 2 we see the taunt that some of the people were bringing against David -- God will not deliver him. It is painful enough to have others come against us, but when we feel like God has abandoned us, we lose all hope. You will find that the biggest accusation that Satan will bring against you during times of trouble is that God has abandoned you or that God doesn’t care about your misery. It is easy for Christians to begin believing these lies. David might have felt times of hopelessness, but he knew that God would deliver him as he expresses throughout this psalm. His trust in God came from years of experiencing God’s help through all kinds of different struggles.

3 But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

vs 3 -- What are the three things that God does for David described in this verse? What do you think each of the three things from God would do for David? What do you think caused the change in David’s mood from verses 1-2 to verse 3? Do you find it difficult to trust God when people come against you?

In the first two verses David identifies his problem including his fears, his feelings of hopelessness and abandonment. But in verse 3 David begins a prayer of faith. He reminds himself of three things that God does for him -- is a shield around him, bestows glory on him, and lifts up his head.

Do you feel like David did in verses 1-2. Does it seem like others are coming against you. Are you beginning to wonder whether God has abandoned you? Are feelings of hopelessness and despair overwhelming you? If so, remember these three declarations of David from verse 3:

God is a shield around you. He will fight your battles and he will protect you against the attacks of the enemy. This means that nothing can really harm you. You are safe in God’s hands.

God bestows glory on you. This may seem a strange thought, but God’s children are important to him. He places his glory on all those who are believers. Have you ever seen Christians who were going through trials and yet they seemed to radiate peace and glow with God’s presence? God will be with you no matter what troubles you may be facing.

God lifts up your head. Do you feel depressed over the attacks of others? Do you feel weary from the battles at work or the conflicts at home? Don’t hang your head. God will lift up your head. He will lift that burden that is bowing you down.

4 To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah

vs 4 -- What does this verse tell us David did when facing trouble? How has crying out to God helped you through a difficult time?

In verse 4 we see that David answers his concerns with prayer -- “To the Lord I cry aloud.” Whenever you are facing difficulty, go to the Lord. It is easy for us to want to fight our own battles, or to lose our temper and tell people off, or to stand up for our rights. But David went to God. He knew that God was ultimately the one in control of the situation.

Have you gone to God yet? Have you spent time in prayer crying out to him? God cares about your every need. He is there to help you. Don’t believe the taunts from Satan as David had to endure -- that God had abandoned him. God has not abandoned you. He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you. Instead of feeling miserable and clothing yourself in self-pity, why don’t you try crying out to God? Spend some time in prayer, in communion with the Creator. You will discover that the Almighty is right there with you.

5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

vs 5 -- What reason does David give for being able to sleep in the midst of trouble? Does worry sometimes keep you awake at night? How does the Lord sustain us?

When people are facing an especially trying time, one of the most common traits is that they have difficulty sleeping. Their worries cause them to toss and turn at night. They simply cannot stop thinking about the dangers, whether real or imagined. Have you ever noticed that most things we worry about never happen anyway? And even when bad things do happen, they are seldom as harmful as we imagined.

David understood that being anxious would accomplish little. We see in verse 5 that David found sleep peaceful and restful. The reason he gives is that “the Lord sustains me.” He understood that God would be there for him. He knew that it was God’s battle, not his own. It does not say that David didn’t have moments of doubt or fear. But it does say David understood that God would sustain him.

6 I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

vs 6 -- How could David make this statement? Do you think he might have had moments of fear or doubt? How should we respond to fear?

After spending time in prayer to God, David’s faith was rekindled, and he was able to declare in verse 6, “I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.” Faith had replaced fear. I think this is a key to traveling through the valleys of darkness in our lives -- we must not fear. Fear causes all kinds of emotional turmoil in our soul. The more we contemplate the danger we are facing, the more our heart sinks and our faith weakens. Doubts slither their way into our thoughts. Feelings of despair and misery start to overwhelm us. Soon we begin to believe that God really has abandoned us and that the situation really is hopeless.

If we want to experience the joy of the Lord and have peace in the darkest times, we must commit to not allow fear to take charge of our emotions. David made a commitment -- I will not fear.” Perhaps, he was afraid and even had doubts, but he committed to not be afraid because he understood that God was the one in control. Faith is a commitment that we make in spite of our feelings.

7 Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

vs 7 -- Have you ever felt like praying David’s prayer in this verse? Who was David counting on for deliverance? Why do we try to fight the battles by ourselves instead of depending on God?

In verse 7 David prays, “Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.” It must be remembered that David lived under the Old Testament covenant where God was dealing with the nation of Israel according to a national system of justice. Since the time of Christ, we are now living under grace. Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek. But we certainly can pray that God will silence the jaws of the enemies and will stop the teeth of the wicked.

The point to be made is that God will fight our battles for us. He may very well strike jaws and break teeth, but our battles are not our own. They are God’s battles. There is no force strong enough to come against us that God cannot defeat. There are no circumstances so dark that God cannot deliver.

8 From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah

vs 8 -- From where was David’s deliverance coming? From where will your deliverance come? What lessons do you think you’ve learned from this psalm?

David concludes this psalm by saying, “from the Lord comes deliverance.” David knew where his hope should be placed. Deliverance would not come from his craftiness, his strength, or his knowledge. It would come from God. When we are facing difficult situations, often what we try to do is take matters into our own hands. We fight the battles in our own strength or own ability or our own intellect. In other words, we try to do God’s job for him.

Now, God may use our abilities and our intellect, but we need to give God the opportunity to instruct us first. Remember, David was a warrior. He was used to relying on his own strengths and abilities. But he understood that God was the one who would deliver him. We need to realize the same thing.

David concludes this verse with a prayer to God, “May your blessing be on your people.” God did bless David and deliver him. Do you realize that God loves you as much as he loved David? God’s blessing is on his people. God’s blessing is on you. No matter who might be coming against you or what troubles you may be facing, don’t ever forget that God goes with you and will bless you.