The Teeth of the Ungodly
Psalm 3

1 (A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.) LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.
2 Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God." Selah

David felt that those who were against him, and, by extension, against what was right, were many. Do you ever think that everyone is against you, that no one cares, that the whole world is lost? I am reminded of Elijah: So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." (1 Kings 19:10 NKJV) Yet, Elijah was not alone. God told him that there were seven thousand others. We are not alone today. We are surrounded by the same cloud of witnesses as the recipients of the Hebrew letter. Those ancient heroes of faith are doing the same for us as the original readers of Hebrews 11-12. We are also surrounded by a neo crowd at church. Encouragement from like-minded Christians is one reason congregational life (worship, service, and fellowship) is so vital.

3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
4 I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around.

This is a prime example of how David was a man after God’s heart. He trusted completely in God no matter what his environment was saying to him. Whatever the opposition, whatever the challenge – he kept faith in his God. In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalms 56:11 NKJV – quoted in Hebrews 13.6). I have thought lately that to see how David’s heart was like God’s heart, one needed to especially read David’s psalms in addition to the account of his life in Samuel and Kings. The poetry of his psalms is a window straight into his heart.

7 Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongs to the LORD. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah (NKJV)

Yeah…there’s a blow to the head. Note the last line in verse seven. Yahweh is Conqueror. We mess with Him (His word) at our peril. If that bully Satan messes with us, guess who’s got our back. We just need to place ourselves under God’s control with our faith…like David.