“O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!” (Psalm 3:1)
What to make of this verse? I mean, what prompted this exclamation from the psalmist? It is clear that he is not asking to know how many his enemies (foes) are. Rather, it sounds like someone who was confronted by the painful realisation that he had many more enemies than he thought possible. Here we have someone who most likely saw friends, or people he thought were his friends, standing against him when he expected them to stand with or even for him.
The fact is, we all have more enemies than we think, especially considering that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood….” (Ephesians 6:12)
Significantly, after the exclamation in verse 1, the psalmist writes in verse 2: “Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” In other words, many -not only renown enemies but even “my companion, my close friend” (Psalm 55)- are saying of me, “he is finished, no hope of recovery for him, even God will not rescue him.” I believe that He must have seen anyone who had such thought of him as standing against him….
How could anyone who does not wish your recovery when you fall, or healing when you hurt, rightly claim to be your friend? It is important to note that here we are dealing with the complexity of living and dealing with human beings. They are so unpredictable! No wonder the bible says that “cursed is anyone who trusts in man [human being]…”
Against this background, the psalmist trust in God’s faithfulness remained unshakable -it had to remain so for him to have peace of mind. His walk with God was such that he knew what to expect of him. God’s turning His back on him or betraying his trust was not part of the deal. He knew that he could always count on God for his wellbeing for the Lord is his shield, hence he does not matter who rises up against him. I pray that such a conviction be your portion in Jesus name!
Lord grant me the grace to remember daily that you are my shield and deliverer.
