Thou, O Lord

Good Morning! 

Well, the 2019 football season is finally over.  Kansas City finally won a Super Bowl.  Well, just six months before we begin this all again.  Actually, I spent my time watching something else last night.  It wasn’t because I was not interested … I just didn’t want to get involved in the game and not be able to sleep afterwards.  So, I snoozed while watching the National Geographic channel, awakening at 9:43 so I could go to bed.  Getting old is fun.

Talk about “fun” … have you ever watched the Waste Management Phoenix Open?  This golf tournament boasts as having the largest attendance of any sports event in the world.  It is not unusual for the gate on any given day to be as high as 200,000 spectators.  A significant portion of the gate goes to charitable causes in the Phoenix area.  The most fun hole is hole 16.  The hole is a par 3 set in a stadium that holds thousands of rowdy spectators who cheer and boo the golfers as they play the hole.  A golfer can be cheered for a great drive and then booed when he misses the putt.  By the way, the best shot of the week came on Saturday when Webb Simpson carded a hole-in-one on hole 12.  Webb eventually won the tournament in a playoff with Tony Finau.

I am sure you didn’t join me this morning to get a sports report.  So, let’s turn our attention to God’s Word … and to how He is encouraging me this Good Morning.

It seems that I need a pick-me-up every once in a while.  One of my favorite songs to get a fresh filling is the song Thou O Lord as sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  I just listened to it this morning to get the juices flowing.  (YouTube it and give it a listen … it’s a good use of 6 minutes of your day.)  The song comes from Psalms 3 … a song of David when he was fleeing from his son Absalom.  The Psalm reads …

Psalm 3 English Standard Version (ESV)

Save Me, O My God

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

3 O Lord, how many are my foes!
    Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying of my soul,
    “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah[a]

3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
    my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4 I cried aloud to the Lord,
    and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

5 I lay down and slept;
    I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
    who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Arise, O Lord!
    Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
    you break the teeth of the wicked.

8 Salvation belongs to the Lord;
    your blessing be on your people! Selah

Footnotes:

Psalm 3:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word Selah, used frequently in the Psalms, is uncertain. It may be a musical or liturgical direction

Bob Deffinbaugh writes about Absalom’s rebellion in his article entitled The Darkest Days of David’s Life that covers 2^nd Samuel 16:20 -19:8. You can find this article on Bible.org. It is a good read. 

Imagine having one of your children come against you, attempting not only to dethrone you but also to kill you.  And, imagine that child has been able to garner a large portion of the population against you … so much so that you feel that you must flee to save your life.  That is where David was.  Would you be as likely to turn to God under those circumstances? 

In this Psalm, David states his trust in God to sustain him even in this dark hour.  And God did!!! Ultimately, Absalom was killed (even though David didn’t want that to happen) and David’s throne was upheld. 

So … what does this do for us this morning?  Listen, all of us are going to encounter some dark days in our lives.  And sometimes we will feel as though everyone is against us.  In those times, we should follow David’s lead and praise God for His faithfulness to us.

Well, we begin a new week in a new month.  May God bless you and keep you throughout this good day.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: “Thou, O Lord, are shield to me, my glory and the lifter of my head.”  Father, help me to always remember that You never abandon Your children … especially in the tough times of life. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me. In Jesus’ Name … Amen.

Scripture for today:  Psalms 3