Psalm 3

A psalm by David, when he fled from the face of his son, Absalom.

O Lord, why do those who afflict me multiply?
Many are those who rise up against me.
Many are those who say to my soul,
“There is no salvation for him in his God.” (Pause)
But You, O Lord, are my protector,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from HIs holy hill.
(Pause)
I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord will help me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who set themselves against me all around.
Arise, O Lord, and save me, O my God,
For You struck all those who were foolishly at enmity with me;
You broke the teeth of sinners.
Salvation is of the Lord,
And Your blessing is upon Your people.

Commentary from the Orthodox Study Bible

“The historical account in Psalm 3 is that of King David fleeing from his son, Absalam (2 King 15-18). But prophetically, Ps 3 is speaking of Jesus as the Song of David according to the flesh (Mt 1:1; Rom 1:3). Thus Jesus is praying to the Lord, who is God the Father (vv 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9). And the many. . . who rise up against me (v. 2) are the fallen angels, of whom Absalom and his army were a type. These angels, which number ten thousands (v. 7), always lie in their denial of man’s salvation through Christ (v. 3). But just as Jesus always rejected their lies (vv. 4-9), so He is teaching His Church to do the same.
Ps 3 is the first of the six psalms in the Orthros (or Matins) service. The other five are 37, 62, 87, 102, and 142.”

Thoughts

Thank you God for the restful sleep I got. Thank you that you got me up again today. This psalm speaks to the anxiety we may feel, maybe feeling overwhelmed, but also to the peace of God that God can give us. It’s empowering because of God’s power. You are our Protector. You help us. David is asking God to save him. Help us and save us. Thank you for blessing your people.

I woke up sniffly. Fighting a cold. God, bless us today even though all the things we are going through. Thank you for the rest you give us. Help us trust you and take the rest that we need. You hear our cries. You love us. Thank you for all that you do for us.