Psalm 3: Praising God in the Morning

        You hear your alarm clock buzzing loudly as you open your sleepy eyes and slowly realize that it is Monday morning. Monday morning usually finds many of us getting up early and preparing to go to work, or helping our spouses and children get ready for work and school. Some people dread having do these things every weekday, especially on Mondays, but we should remember that every day that we are given is a gift from God. "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24).
        David, made many mistakes in his life, but he was a man after God’s own heart. (Acts 13:22).  He not only was open to repentance when he realized that he had committed sin, but he was ever-praising to God in both good times and bad. David wrote Psalm Chapter 3 as a morning song of thanksgiving unto God at a time when he was facing many trials and challenges in his life.
        At the time that Psalm Chapter 3 was written, David’s son, Absolom, was trying to usurp the throne away from his father, and had caused David to flee from Jerusalem in hiding. Not only was David hurt by the possibility of his kingship being stolen from him, but he had to deal with the fact that his own flesh and blood was treating him so terribly. When faced with problems such as this, it would be expected by many for David to become depressed and have a negative attitude. On the contrary, he penned Psalm Chapter 3, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in the midst of his hiding from his son, and it is a song about how good God is, rather than David complaining about his current situation.
      David does acknowledge his plight in the first two verses of Psalm 3; “ LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.” But rather than continue with talking about his problems, he goes onto praise God for all of the help He has given David during these trying times. “But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.” (Psalm 3:3-4). 
       How many of us wake up in the morning praising and thanking God for allowing us to have the blessing of another day, just as David did? Something that we should all do is pray every day to God, thanking Him for all that He does for us. We should pray many times a day, especially before meals, when we go to bed, and when we wake up. We should pray so many times in a day, we cannot keep up with the number of prayers we have uttered in a day. “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17).
       David also shows his unwavering faith in God during challenging times. In Psalm 3, he goes onto to talk about how he has no trouble sleeping because he has complete faith in God to take care of him and to destroy his enemies who surround him. “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” (Psalm 3:5-8). How many of us have the faith David had in times of trouble? We must believe that God will take care of us always, just as a small child has faith in his or her parents to provide their needs.
       When you wake up in the morning, make it a point to pray to God and thank Him for all of the blessings He has given you in this life. No matter how challenging your life may be, remember that God is always with you, and He will always work everything out for your good, as long as you are faithful to Him! “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).
 
 
 

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