Psalm 3: O LORD, how many are all my foes

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The foes from which King David was fleeing were physical of course. His turncoat son Absalom had sent thousands of his henchmen to seek and kill the King. The fears that daily assail us are less likely to have physical form – unless of course we live in those parts of the world where people are routinely treated harshly. Rather we battle other enemies, those of selfishness, of pride, of addiction, of gossip, of lust, of rampant materialism. And these are just some of the countless legion of enemies that pursue each of us. Just as David faced opposition, there are some people looking at our mistakes and failures and mistakenly declaring that God will not deliver us from our foes. But David recognised that the mighty God of Israel is a shield from foes physical or spiritual, and if we will call on him, the Lord will bring protection and relief. God’s protective deliverance is a valuable thing on which to meditate, before we lie down to sleep and then when we awake we’ll often experience God’s peace that passes understanding. It’s intriguing that David asked for God to strike his enemies’ jaw and break their teeth. Some people may object to the violence of the imagery, though it has an obvious application for those who are pursued by slanderous enemies. - It is difficult for enemies to speak their accusations and lies through a mouthful of broken teeth!