Life today is hard. God never promises an easy life. In fact, God says that this earthly life will be full of toil and trouble. God doesn’t expect us to deal with any anxiety or worry we Christians develop alone, though. We can find God’s comfort by reading Bible verses where God reminds us He’s got our future prepared for us.
Psalm 3 is a psalm that King David wrote when his own son, Absalom, tried to kill his father to take the thrown. David left the safety of his castle in the capital and was leading hundreds or thousands of people around a desert land. He left quickly and probably didn’t bring enough food for his family, definitely not all his army and servants. He had no idea who he could trust as he traveled, where he could rest safely, but he trusted God to provide, and He did. 2 Samuel 15 through 17 say that all along their trip people came and brought the group enough food to travel on. Just as God provided enough food for the growing nation for 40 years of wandering in a desert(Exodus 16), He provided enough food for David’s family, servants, and army during Absalom’s rebellion.
Jeremiah 29:11 and Joshua 1:9 are great Bible verses for finding God’s comfort quickly, and Psalm 3 is a comforting reminder of our confidence in God’s plan.
The world is against me
King David was no stranger to running for his life. As God’s anointed next king with no blood relation to the first king, David often had to run from King Saul, simply because Saul knew his son wouldn’t be king. One day David would be a welcome member of Saul’s court, the next day Saul would want David’s execution. David spent years like that. He even married Saul’s daughter, only to have that daughter given to be another man’s wife when David had to run again. Once he was finally king, David still had to watch his back. His son Absalom and later his son Adonijah tried to take David’s throne while he still lived. Even between those rebellions, David had to watch his court and the nations surrounding Israel. A king needs to always be watching for betrayal or rebellion. He never knew where the next attempt for his throne would be.
But I trust You’ll protect me
David trusted that God would protect him. A shield was held between the attack and the person, keeping as much of the danger as possible from person it protected. Even though David was often surrounded by enemies, he still trusted God to protect him.
I sleep in peace with God’s comfort
David trusted God’s comfort and protection so much that he had no trouble sleeping. Today I hear about so many pills to take to help adults sleep a full night. David trusted God like a child trusts their parents. Most children have no concept of danger. Children may try to avoid sleeping because they want to stay up and have more fun, but most children don’t fear they’ll die during the night. Adults know the world isn’t safe because there are any number of dangers that could kill us. Vehicle accidents or faulty wiring, crazy strangers or natural disasters could end us at any moment. David knew the enemies that were trying to kill him, yet he rested peacefully. David knew that God would protect him and that David would only die when God had prepared it.
Deliver me, O Lord, since deliverance comes from You.
Here David’s sure confidence is obvious. He knows that God will protect him and bless him as easy as an experienced shepherd killed a wild animal. Breaking the jaw and teeth was how commoners killed wild animals. Bows were expensive and guns didn’t exist yet, so David, as a young shepherd, would’ve learned to kill an animal by hitting it hard in the head, probably with a stone or staff.
God knows our lives aren’t easy. Nothing in this earthly life is easy because of the sin in the world. David knew that no matter what dangers were out there, God would protect him. David didn’t often have an easy life, but he trusted God to guide and protect him on the path God put in front of him. We can take comfort from David’s trust and thank God that we can use David’s words to pray when we don’t know what to say or ask for. Seek God’s comfort and peace through David’s poetry and let God do the worrying for you.
