Psalm 3: Lessons from David’s Deliverance Regarding the Blessings That Come Through Faith in Jesus

Introduction: Here, David celebrated God’s deliverance from his son Absalom’s coup d’état. David had committed terrible sins of murder and adultery. His son and many advisors had turned against him. David’s sins should have disqualified him from being king. But God saved David because of his faith and because God was faithful to keep His promises. Through God’s deliverance, David records seven blessings that come through faith. These include: (1) hope, (2) protection, (3) answered prayers, (4) provision, (5) courage, (6) deliverance, and (7) salvation.

First, because he was a man of faith, David cried out to God and put his hope in Him when all seemed lost. Faith also allows you to put your hope in Jesus during your trials. Second, David praised God for being his shield of protection. With faith, Jesus can also become your shield and protect you when you are attacked. Third, David further praised God for answering his prayers during his darkest hour. With faith, Jesus can also answer your prayers during your times of need. Fourth, David also praised God for providing for him when he fled for his life. With faith, Jesus can also provide for all your needs during your trials. Fifth, David further thanked God for giving him courage when he faced an army of thousands of men. With faith, Jesus can also give you the courage to face any challenge. Sixth, David praised God for delivering him from his enemies. With faith, Jesus can also deliver you from any challenge. Finally, David praised God for his salvation. With faith, Jesus will also bless you with His free gift of eternal salvation.

1. Hope: Faith Allows You to Put Your Hope in Jesus When All Seems Lost. Ps. 3:1-2.

  • David placed his hope in God when his enemies encircled him. After David’s son Absalom tried to depose him, David wrote a psalm about how he placed his hope in God: “Morning Prayer of Trust in God. A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. ‘1 Lord, how my enemies have increased! Many are rising up against me. 2 Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’ Selah.” (Ps. 3:1-2). As one commentator observes: “David’s situation was so bad that man felt he was beyond God’s help. Those who said this probably didn’t feel that God was unable to help David; they probably felt that God was unwilling to help him. They looked at David’s past sin and figured, ‘This is all what he deserves from God.’ . . . Shimei was an example of someone who said that God was against David and he was just getting what he deserved (2 Samuel 16:8).” (David Guzik on Psalm 3) (italics in original).1 Like David, God wants you to pour out your heart to Him and place your hopes in Him during your times of struggle.

  • Absalom’s conspiracy to depose his father and king, David. Absalom was David’s third son (2 Sam. 3:3). Sadly, Absalom murdered David’s eldest son Amnon after Amnon raped Absalom’s sister Tammar (2 Sam. 13:23-38). Absalom then fled and spent three years living in exile in Geshur, the homeland of his maternal grandfather (2 Sam. 3:3; 13:37-38). He then spent another two years living under house arrest (2 Sam. 14:28). The second oldest son Chileab would have been the next heir to the throne (2 Sam. 3:3). But, despite having murdered his brother, Absalom’s ambition would not let an older brother or even his father stand in front of his desire to be king. He embezzled the country’s funds to hire men and horses to put on regal displays for the people. He then conspired to overthrow his father David and become King of Israel (2 Sam. 15:1-6). Absalom was prideful and coveted power because he was both a prince and one of the most handsome men in Israel (2 Sam. 14:25). Absalom’s conspiracy gained strength after one of David’s top counselor’s named Ahithopel turned against David (2 Sam. 15:11-12). Ahithophel was Bathsheba’s grandfather (2 Sam. 11:3; 23:34). Thus, Ahithophel likely had a deep hatred for David. Once David’s advisors determined that Absalom had gained support throughout Israel for his revolt, David was forced to flee with just 600 men (2 Sam. 15:13-18). After seizing power, Ahithophel gave Absalom wicked advice that he sleep with David’s concubines, who also happened to be Absalom’s mothers-in-law (2 Sam. 16:20-21). Absalom then embraced Ahithophel’s evil advice and slept with David’s ten concubines in the open for all to see (2 Sam. 16:22-23). Ahithopel then offered to hunt David down with 12,000 soldiers and kill him (2 Sam 17:1-4). During this time of evil and betrayal, David turned to God and poured out his heart in prayer (2 Sam. 15:30-37).

David cried out to God when his enemies conspired with Absalom against him2

  • David wrote psalms for the pain of betrayal of his friends and family. While in the wilderness, David later wrote many psalms to lament his sorrow at the betrayal of his closest friends and family members: “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” (Ps. 41:9). “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it; nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend;” (Ps. 55:12-13). “My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen stand afar off.” (Ps. 38:11). “Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; those who would destroy me are powerful, those who oppose me with lies; what I did not steal, I then have to restore . . . I have become estranged from my brothers and an alien to my mother’s sons.” (Ps. 69:4, 8). “My relatives have failed, and my intimate friends have forgotten me . . . All my associates abhor me, and those I love have turned against me.” (Job 19:14, 19). If you are suffering feelings of betrayal, God also wants you to give your pain to Him.

  • David’s psalms for feeling publicly shamed. David also lamented the public shame that Absalom, Ahithophel, and others waged against him for his sins: “Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.”’ (Ps. 3:2). “All who see me deride me; they sneer, they shake their heads, saying,” (Ps. 22:7). “For my enemies have spoken against me; and those who watch for my life have consulted together, saying, ‘God has abandoned him; pursue and seize him, for there is no one to save him.”’ (Ps. 71:11). When others shame you for your sins, Jesus will forgive you when you repent (1 Jo. 1:9).

  • David’s psalm requesting God’s deliverance. After being forced to flee, David wrote this third psalm asking that God deliver him from his own wicked son (Ps. 3:1-6). David also wrote many similar psalms: “A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed; in Your righteousness deliver me . . . Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You; let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol. Let the lying lips be mute, which speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt.” (Ps. 31:1, 17-18). “Be gracious to me, LORD; see my oppression from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death,” (Ps. 9:13). “O my God, in You I trust, do not let me be ashamed; do not let my enemies exult over me. . . Look at my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with violent hatred.” (Ps. 25:2, 19). “Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.” (Ps. 120:2). If you are in need of deliverance, God also wants you to bring your petitions to Him.

  • Give your burdens to God. While hiding in the wilderness, David felt great sorrow because of his feelings of loss and betrayal. Yet, instead of getting angry, he gave his pain and his sorrow to God in his psalms: “4 My heart is in anguish within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5 Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me. 6 I said, ‘Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. 7 ‘Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah. 8 I would hasten to my place of refuge from the stormy wind and tempest.’” (Ps. 55:4-8). When you are feeling hurt, God also wants you to trust Him by giving Him your burdens.

  • The fulfillment of God’s prophecy against David. Absalom’s rebellion fulfilled a prophecy that God gave to the prophet Nathan after David’s adultery and murder: ‘“Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household;’ . . .” (2 Sam. 12:10-11(a)). Those who sow the seeds of conflict will reap the whirlwind (Hos. 8:7). As the self-proclaimed new ruler of Israel, there was no more important role model for Absalom than David. Before arriving in Hebron, David had two wives (1 Sam. 25:43). During his seven-year reign in Hebron, he took four additional wives (2 Sam. 3:2-5). David then forced Abner to kidnap his former wife Michal and make her his seventh wife (2 Sam. 3:12-16). Because he took Michal against her will, this was also an act of rape. After becoming king, he took more wives and concubines (2 Sam. 5:13-14). He then again showed his disregard for the laws of sexual purity when he committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:2-4). Thus, David had little moral authority to rebuke Absalom. His sins also allowed Absalom to turn many of Israel’s elders against him.

  • Satan’s plans to use deceit to turn people against Jesus. Like Absalom, Satan seeks to deceive mankind. For many, he has become either the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), “the prince of this world” (Jo. 12:31), or the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). Any time you refuse to submit to God, you let Satan rule over your life. Yet, if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior you need not fear. “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 Jo. 4:4). Thus, even though he can cause you pain, the Holy Spirit inside you can protect you from any evil scheme that Satan may try to inflict upon you.

  • Satan seeks to bring down leaders to create conflict. Satan’s goal has always been to break down order through rebellion. His goal is to create chaos and misery. Satan first led a third of the angels in rebellion against God’s rule (Rev. 12:3-9). He then led Eve to rebel against God’s rules (Gen. 3:1-4). He then led Adam and Eve to rebel against each other (Gen. 3:16). Jesus once quoted a prophecy: “I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” (Mk. 14:23). When influenced by Satan, the corrupt “despise authority.” (2 Pet. 2:10). He will bring down leaders through civil war to create conflict and misery for all. Thus, it is part of his plan for leaders to fight with each other.

  • Satan will also deceive the elect during the end times. Just as he deceived the leaders who surrounded David, Satan will deceive the elect during the end times: “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” (Matt. 24:24; Mk. 13:22). “that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,” (2 Thess. 2:9). Absalom was a handsome leader (2 Sam. 14:25). Thus, you must test every leader, especially the attractive ones, to make sure that they are following God. You will know if a leader is a God-fearing person by their fruits (Matt. 7:16). If an evil leader threatens you, God wants you to put hope in Him the way David did.

2. Protection: With Faith, Jesus Can Become Your Shield and Protect You. Ps. 3:3.

  • David thanked God for protecting him during his darkest hour. Although David had no right to God’s protection, God showed David grace and protected him from his enemies: “3 But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Ps. 3:3). God protected David because of both David’s faith and God’s faithfulness.

When you are doing God’s will, He will also be your shield and uplift you3

  • David took refuge in God. God gave David protection because David took refuge in Him (Ps. 3:3): “As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the LORD is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (2 Sam. 22:31). “For You bless the righteous person, LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” (Ps. 5:12). “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Prov. 30:5). Satan complained about a “hedge of protection” that God had placed around Job (Job 1:10). If you want to receive God’s shield or His hedge of protection, you need to submit to Him.

  • God reduced David’s army to help him to put his trust in God. In order to help David place his full trust in God, God only allowed David to flee from Absalom with 600 men (2 Sam. 15:18). This was the exact number of men that David had when he lived in the wilderness fleeing from Saul’s army (1 Sam. 23:13; 30:9). If God has temporarily removed from you your health, your wealth, your job, or something else that makes you feel vain or proud, He most likely wants you to put your trust in Him and not in yourself.

  • When others attack you, cry out to God for protection. David later recorded in a psalm how he turned to God in prayer when his enemies conspired against him: “For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted, because of the voice of the enemy, because of the pressure of the wicked; for they bring down trouble upon me and in anger they bear a grudge against me.” (Ps. 55:1-3). “Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the foolish. I have become mute, I do not open my mouth, because it is You who have done it.” (Ps. 39:8-9). “Let them curse, but You bless; when they arise, they shall be ashamed, but Your servant shall be glad.” (Ps. 109:28). Like David, will you seek God’s protection when others attack you?

  • Trust in Jesus when you are rejected. Just as David was rejected, the world may also reject you for your faith. If this happens, put your trust in Jesus and praise Him: “In this point many Christian expositors have noted comparisons with Jesus. Most of the nation rejected Him as their king, choosing rather to follow the murderous leaders who wanted to put Him to death. And, if such opposition was true for the Lord’s anointed, it will also be true of all who follow Him. Therefore, in the face of such opposition, believers must turn to God in prayer, pouring out their lament as David did; but their prayers must exhibit genuine faith through expressions of confidence and words of praise.” (Allen Ross, A Commentary of the Psalms: Volume 1 (1-41), Kregel Academic (2011) p. 221).

  • Allow God to give you victory when others heap shame on you. David also praised God as “the One who lifts my head.” (Ps. 3:3). In addition to protecting David, God also gave him victory and restored his honor: “And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.” (Ps. 27:6). “He rescues me from my enemies; You indeed lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from a violent man.” (Ps. 18:48). “Therefore He will lift up His head.” (Ps. 110:7b). If you feel shame or others use your past sins against you, turn to God for your victory and restoration.

  • God was also faithful to protect His Covenant with David. Although David did not deserve God’s help, God formed a Covenant with David to make him king over Israel (2 Sam. 7:8). As part of this Covenant, God promised to raise up David’s descendants to be rulers of Israel. But this would only happen after David’s days came to a natural end (2 Sam. 7:12). Satan might have twisted these words to lead Absalom to believe that he could cause David’s life to come to an end prematurely and still inherit this Covenant. But God would not allow Absalom to use evil and twist his Word to take the throne. When others let you down, you can also trust God to keep His many promises to you.

3. Answered Prayers: With Faith, Jesus Can Also Answer Your Prayers. Ps. 3:4.

  • David also praised God for answering his prayers. Despite David’s terrible sins, another part of God’s grace towards David included His willingness to answer David’s prayers: “4 I was crying out to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah.” (Ps. 3:4). God’s mercy and grace were greater than David’s sins.

  • David’s prayers to thwart the evil counsel of Ahithophel. When David learned that his friend Ahithophel was advising Absalom, he prayed that God would confound Ahithophel’s advice with foolishness (2 Sam. 15:34). God later answered David’s prayers: “Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.’ For the LORD had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring calamity on Absalom.” (2 Sam. 17:14). God’s power includes “causing the omens of boasters to fail, making fools out of diviners, causing wise men to draw back and turning their knowledge into foolishness,” (Is. 44:25). Will you turn to God in prayer for deliverance from your adversaries?

  • God previously warned that He would not hear the prayers of His rebellious people. David at one point doubted whether God would hear his prayers because God warned that He would not hear the prayers of the Jews when they rebelled against Him and His laws (2 Sam. 16:9-12). Samuel once warned: “18 Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.’” (1 Sam. 8:18). Throughout the Old Testament, God warned that intentional sin would cause Him not to respond to a sinner’s prayers for relief from their sins: “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but they will not find me.” (Prov. 1:28; Job 35:12; Micah 3:4). “They cried for help, but there was none to save, even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.” (Ps. 18:41; 66:18; Is. 1:15; 59:2-3(b)). “Therefore thus says the LORD, ‘Behold I am bringing disaster on them which they will not be able to escape; though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them.”’ (Jer. 11:11). Thus, David’s sins initially caused him to experience doubt.

  • David prayed that God would forgive him and hear him. Although David was a sinner, he celebrated that God heard him: “But know that the LORD has set apart the godly person for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him.” (Ps. 4:3). “Leave me, all you who practice injustice, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.” (Ps. 6:8). “In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry for help before Him came into His ears.” (Ps. 18:6). “Blessed be the LORD, because He has heard the sound of my pleading.” (Ps. 28:6). Whenever God answers your prayers, you should also celebrate His mercy and grace.

  • Despite David’s unfaithfulness, God remained faithful. David could not boast in God’s deliverance. David’s murder of Uriah should have disqualified him from having God answer his prayers: “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.” (Is. 1:15; Jo. 9:31). Yet, out of grace, God was faithful to keep His Covenant with David: “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” (Dt. 7:9). If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He will also keep His many promises to you. This is true even when you are unfaithful to Him: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Tim. 2:13). “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” (1 Thess. 5:24). Have you given thanks for His faithfulness to you?

  • Sin can also “hinder” your prayers to God. Jesus repeated His warnings about sin in the New Testament (Jo. 9:31). Peter also warns that unrepentant sin can still “hinder” a believer’s prayers (1 Pet. 3:7). Yet, Jesus can forgive any sin (1 Jo. 1:9). Is there a sin you need to repent of? If so, repent so that your prayers will not be hindered.

4. Provision: With Faith, Jesus Can Also Provide For All Your Needs. Ps. 3:5.

  • David also thanked God for sustaining him when he fled for his life. Although he faced an army trying to kill him, God also blessed him with peace and all that he needed: “5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.” (Ps. 3:5). God directly gave David peace, and He used David’s friends and allies to be His hands to sustain David.

  • God gave David the peace to sleep when his life was at risk. God’s provision included the blessing of restful sleep (Ps. 3:5). “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” (Prov. 3:24). “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, LORD, have me dwell in safety.” (Ps. 4:8). “Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely.” (Ps. 16:9). “You shall therefore follow My statutes and keep My judgments so as to carry them out, so that you may live securely on the land.” (Lev. 25:18). “When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security,” (Dt. 12:10). If you are stressed out and unable to sleep, are you turning to God to restore your ability to sleep?

  • God gave David comfort through his faithful friends. David also found God’s provision through his friends. This included many gentile converts (e.g., 2 Sam. 15:19-23). In your time of need, Jesus also wants you to turn to Him instead of worrying (Matt. 6:25-34). Jesus frequently uses other believers to be His hands and feet to those who are in need. This can include both physical and emotional support “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2). If you have unmet needs or worry, give your burdens to Jesus. If you are feeling fine, support those who are in need.

5. Courage: With Faith, Jesus Can Give You the Courage to Face Any Challenge. Ps. 3:6.

  • God also gave David the courage to face his enemies. Despite having only 600 men flee with him, God gave David the courage to face thousands of soldiers without any fear: “6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” (Ps. 3:6). David’s courage was only possible through faith and the Holy Spirit.

  • God gave David courage because of his faith. Because David was a man of great faith, God blessed David with the courage to face evil: “A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? . . . If an army encamps against me, My heart will not fear; if war arises against me, in spite of this I am confident.” (Ps. 27:1, 3; 1 Sam. 17:45). “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Ps. 23:4). “I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Ps. 16:8; Acts 2:25). “The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me? . . All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I will certainly fend them off.” (Ps. 118:6, 10). He “by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,” (Heb. 11:33). With faith in God, you also never need to fear evil.

  • David’s psalm of trust in God and thanksgiving. David also learned from his experience not to worry about the schemes of evil men, like his son Absalom. Instead, he trusted in God: “A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers . . . Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.” (Ps. 37:1, 7-8). David also celebrated God when God delivered him: “He also brought me forth into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.” (2 Sam. 22:20). Do you trust in God to defeat those who scheme against you and give thanks when He does so?

  • With faith, God can also give you a spirit of courage. When you have faith, the Holy Spirit can also give you a spirit of courage in the face of any enemy: “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Tim. 1:7). “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!”’ (Ro. 8:15). Your enemies are no match against God’s power: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Ro. 8:31).

6. Deliverance: With Faith, Jesus Can Also Deliver You From Any Challenge. Ps. 3:7.

  • God also delivered David from his many enemies. Because God was faithful to keep His promises, He also delivered David and gave him a victory over a far larger enemy army: “7 Arise, Lord; save me, my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.” (Ps. 3:7). God will also keep His promises to you. When He does deliver you, you should praise Him. “Some mornings we do wake up to a very difficult day. When this happens, we can either give up in despair or follow the example of David. Faith, gratitude, and expectation will enable us to face the most trying day with strong confidence in God.” (Dave Branon, Mart DeHann, Together with God, A Devotional Reading for Every Day of the Year, Discovery House, (2016), p. 6).

  • God’s invisible power defeated the larger forces of Absalom. With God on their side, David’s forces defeated a far larger army serving under Absalom’s command. Despite only three companies in David’s army, God caused Absalom’s larger forces to panic, break ranks, and flee in every direction into the woods (2 Sam. 18:6-8). Absalom then fled on a donkey and was caught by his head in the branches (2 Sam. 18:9-10). David’s general Joab then executed him (2 Sam. 18:11-15). Because Absalom was fighting against God’s anointed king, there was no question about the outcome: “The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways.” (Dt. 28:7; Lev. 26:7). “How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had given them up?” (Dt. 32:30). When you feel under attack while doing God’s work, this should also give you hope. God can never be defeated.

  • David cried out to God and then credited God with his victory. David first cried out for deliverance: “Return, LORD, rescue my soul; save me because of Your mercy.” (Ps. 6:4). “Arise, LORD, confront him, make him bow down; save my soul from the wicked with Your sword,” (Ps. 17:13). “God, shatter their teeth in their mouth; break out the fangs of the young lions, LORD.” (Ps. 58:6). David then gave all the credit back to God when he was victorious: “I will sing a new song to You, O God; upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David His servant from the evil sword.” (Ps. 144:9-10). “He rescues me from my enemies; You indeed lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from a violent man. . . He gives great deliverance to His king, and shows lovingkindness to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.” (Ps. 18:48, 50; 2 Sam. 22:51). “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.” (Ps. 140:7). “The LORD is their strength, and He is a saving defense to His anointed.” (Ps. 22:8). When God delivers you from a struggle, will you also give Him the full credit?

  • David also praised God for his deliverance. David also later wrote a psalm to remember and praise God for His deliverance from David’s wayward son and prince of Israel: “Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your words.” (Ps. 119:161). “Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies.” (Ps. 119:157). “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim. 4:18). “O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain.” (Ps. 60:11). Do you also praise God when He delivers you from your enemies?

  • Jesus will deliver you from the enemy’s attacks. David’s psalm of praise also foreshadows Jesus’ defeat of Satan: “Whereas the shattering of the enemies in 2:9 may subtly allude to the head wound to the seed of the serpent in Gen. 3:15, that connotation seems even stronger in Ps. 3:7 where Yahweh strikes the cheek of David’s enemies, breaking their teeth.” (James M. Hamilton Jr., Evangelical Bible Theology Commentary Psalms (Vol. I: Psalms 1-72) (Lexham Academic 2021) p. 112) (italics in original).

7. Salvation: With Faith, Jesus Will Also Bless You With the Gift of Salvation. Ps. 3:8.

  • David praised God for his salvation. As a man of faith, David sang a song of praise for David’s salvation and for God’s blessings for His people: “8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; may Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.” (Ps. 3:8). Through faith in Jesus, you should also sing songs of praise for the blessing of your undeserved salvation.

Jesus deserves your praise for making your salvation possible4

  • David repeatedly praised God for his blessings. David repeatedly gave thanks because he knew he had salvation only through his faith: “He gives great salvation to His king, and shows faithfulness to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.” (Ps. 18:50). “For the music director. A Psalm of David. LORD, in Your strength the king will be glad, and in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice!” (Ps. 21:1). “But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble.” (Ps. 37:39). “The LORD is their strength, and He is a refuge of salvation to His anointed.” (Ps. 28:8). Like David, your praises for Jesus should be ongoing songs of genuine gratitude.

  • Praise Jesus for the blessing of salvation. With faith in Jesus, you also have the blessing of eternal salvation: “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (Jo. 3:36; 6:47; 11:26). If you are grateful for your salvation, are you regularly praising Jesus?

  • Allow God to mold you in the wilderness. God picked David to be a shepherd over Israel because of his training as a lowly shepherd (2 Sam. 7:8). He then molded David through years of suffering in the wilderness while he fled from Saul. God then molded David to remove the sinful desires and pride that allowed him to commit adultery and murder. David later celebrated how God refined and molded both him and all of Israel through their many trials. “For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined.” (Ps. 66:10). David further learned that God’s testing would continue until He removed David’s iniquity: “You have tried my heart; You have visited me by night; You have tested me and You find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.” (Ps. 17:3). Will you praise God for molding you through trials?

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