PSALM 3:1-3 – O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
THEME OF THE DAY. HIDING BEHIND OUR SHIELD. I think we can identify with David in today’s Psalm. I obviously don’t mean literally. The context is Absalom, his son, seeking him and not for good. David is on the run, hiding, and cries out for the Lord’s protection and help against real enemies. But I do think we may identify with him by recognizing the dangerous foes seeking to wreak havoc in our lives. Let’s develop this a little and then make the application.
In the course of the Christian life, we are confronted daily – all of us – by “foes” seeking to cause damage to our testimonies for the Lord Jesus. And I am not talking about the devil or the world. Those are formidable foes we cannot ignore, but there is another one who is the chief and we face daily; ourselves. It is self that will do the most destructive work in our lives when it comes to tarnishing our witness for Christ. And it will do so in two primary places – our speech and attitudes. Believe this truth. Embrace this truth. Our greatest foe is ourselves and unless we learn the “weaponry” of David – the Lord is our shield, we will misrepresent the Lord Jesus. So, let’s see why this shield is essential in the two areas of our spiritual vulnerability – our speech and attitude.
First, we must hide behind the protective shield of the Lord to guard our tongues or speech. Much damage has been done to a person’s witness for Christ by an impulsive tongue speaking forth hurtful words in the heat of an emotional situation or tense conversation. King Solomon warns us, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). This is a vivid picture of what an uncontrolled tongue may do; cut deep into a person causing serious wounds. Conversely, we see a wise tongue, a Christ-controlled, Christ-shielded, tongue brings healing. Learn daily to pray as David when it comes to our tongue – “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3). Remember what was said of Jesus and let that motivate us to allow the Lord to shield our tongues from ungodly, impulsive speech – And all spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from His mouth (Luke 4:22).
Next, hide behind the shield of the Lord when a situation, circumstance, or relationship is tempting us to hold an irritable or impatient attitude. This area is just about as hard to control as the tongue. Who has not felt the swelling up inside of irritation and impatience over slow to obey children, insensitive spouses, tough bosses and co-workers, and generally negative “gloom and doom” people? If the shield of the Lord isn’t guarding our hearts, our irritation and impatience will quickly vent itself and damage our testimony for Jesus. Again, from King Solomon – Keep your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life (Proverbs 4:23). Those springs of life include our attitudes. Unless the Lord our shield is guarding our hearts by faith, bad attitudes will enter unopposed and send a conflicting message about our Christian witness.
Yes, foes abound seeking to tarnish our representing the Lord Jesus well and accurately. And the greatest foe, ourselves, wants to do this tarnishing work through our unguarded tongues and attitudes. May we learn to hide behind the shield protecting both; the shield of the Lord Jesus Himself.
PRAYER: “Father, please help me to walk moment-by-moment behind the protective shield of Your Son.”
QUOTE: “Christ will shield us against an impulsive tongue and an irritable spirit”