God Promises His Glory on You

Psalms 3:2-5 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” 3 O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” 3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
 
DAVID wrote these faith-affirming words when nearly of Judah thought their King David would soon be killed. He and a small army were fleeing his son Absalom’s attempt to become king. This was Abasalom’s delayed response to David’s refusal to administer justice to David’s son Ammon, who had raped David’s daughter and Absalom’s sister, Tamar. (2 Samuel 13) Absalom took matters into his hands. He killed Ammon and rebelled against David. David’s refusal to justly deal with sin divided his family and his nation. Many died because of this family’s moral and physical crimes against each other. The Bible does not gloss over the sins of God’s anointed. God confronts it directly, so we know he is just and requires a just response.
   With this sin in his heart and his life on the edge, David did what he needed to do years earlier. He went to the LORD, just as he had in other broken, life-threatening moments of his life.
   The essential truth of David’s life is that when his morals and integrity submit to temptation, his faith in God remained true. Even here in this sin, David knew he could call on God to be his shield around him. He didn’t pray, “God, please be a shield around me.” He confidently stated to God, “You are a shield around me.” He believed his Protector was with him in this crisis moment, just as he had always been.
   Then David says something quite remarkable, “You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.” One way to define glory is that it is a visible demonstration of God’s presence and power. In this context, David remembers and confesses his trust in God’s presence. He knows God has favored him throughout his life. The prophet and judge Samuel visibly anointed David to be king in God’s name. God’s presence and power came on David that day. David has carried that anointing with him throughout his life, even amid his evil deeds. David was praying and worshipping God as he fled Absalom because heaven’s glory had come upon him. This is what God had done, and God will not remove it. David believed he would pray, and the LORD would help him.
   Each Christian can more faithfully say, “You are a shield around me, my glory who lifts my head high.” God’s power and presence has come upon you through his Spirit. He has anointed you into the kingdom of God. You are present in God’s glory forever because the LORD has formed your life to his purpose.
   Alive in Jesus, you are alive in God’s glory. His presence and power is evident in your life. He shields you from evil. When you sin, know you can go to God in expectation that his salving, glorious presence is with you. This, of course, does not give you license to sin. But it must give you assurance that you can seek his forgiveness with expectation, “You are my glory, LORD, the one who lifts my head high.” When you call out to him, trust he will answer you. When you lie down to sleep at night, rest in his presence. Believe he will awaken you to dwell in his glory another day. Be at peace knowing God has wrapped you in his glory forever.