post by Lisa Buffum, August 18, 2022
Begin by reading Psalm 3 on Biblegateway.com or in your own Bible
Have you ever felt ganged up on? Like everyone is against you? Like attacks are coming from all directions and you just can’t catch a break?
We may have all felt this way at one time or another for a variety of reasons.
Psalm 3 is credited to King David as a song he sang when he fled from his own son, Absalom. This story is found in 2 Samuel 15-18 and, really, you should go read that right now. I’ll wait.
Absalom wanted to be king, so he conspired to displace his father, David, to be crowned king himself. Now, I have felt ganged up on, but I have never had to flee because one of my children was discrediting me and threatening my life! David’s prayer in Psalm 3 is the honest prayer of a person going through something hard while facing great opposition.
2 Samuel 15: 30 says “But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.” I wonder if this was when David was thinking (or singing) “Everyone is against me. They are saying God is not even with me. I want God to punch them in the jaw and break their teeth!” (The psalms are, after all, a reflection at times of our human condition.)
It’s easy to think David is having a pity-party. But, under it all, David knows some truths about God that we, as disciples, should also know:
• We can ask God to put a shield of protection around us.
• We can call out to God in our distress and He will answer.
• The Lord sustains us.
• We do not need to be afraid.
• Deliverance comes from the Lord.
May we pray with David, “May your blessing be on your people.” This is my prayer over you today.
I hope you have a wonderful week!
PS Several of our certification programs begin with a new group of learners on Monday, August 22. Please join me in prayer for them as they embark upon this journey and for their instructors.
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Lisa is the Director of Online Education for the Institute for Discipleship, overseeing the ministries of BeADisciple.com. Lisa completed a Master’s degree in Christian Ministry from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, in May of 2006.
She is the mother of three children, and currently, “Mimi” to four grandbabies. Lisa teaches the instructor training course and other courses as needed, and provides technical assistance for instructors and learners for every IFD course.
