The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.

“But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” Psalm 3:3.

In the midst of tumult and discouragement I am quick to ask God “why”. Why do I have to do this? Why now? Why me? Why does this have to be so hard? For the record, I get that life is hard. I get that ministry is challenging. I get that this is all part of my sanctification process. I get it. But I still don’t always like it.

It is so easy for me to be self-focused during these times. How I’m not getting what I want. How I don’t feel like serving. How I want it to go my way. It is in these moments that I get a glimpse into my own depravity. God, in His rich mercy and love, allows me to catch a glimpse of my ugly heart (and trust me, I’ve been seeing a lot of ugly recently). But He doesn’t stop there. God doesn’t leave me with the worst ever taste in my mouth. No, He has been bringing to my mind, rather consistently, the sweet, satisfying words of Psalm 3.

“But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”

The first four words of this passage allow me to take the focus off of myself. It is not all about me. I am not worthy of recognition or accolades. My focus is turned to the LORD.

However, in the next statements, I am able to recognize God’s care and compassion for me. He is MY shield, MY glory, and the lifter of MY head. He cares about my thoughts, my feelings, my tears, my disappointments, my anger, my discouragement.

Finally, the best part of this verse.

The LORD is my shield- I am protected and kept by the God of heaven and earth. He is on my side and standing guard for me; ready to extinguish arrows, deflect attacks, and provide safety for me.
The LORD is my glory- As a follower of Christ I have the most glorious inheritance and honor of being His child. He is far beyond any of my own achievements or accolades.
The LORD is the lifter of my head- In the midst of my ugliness and wickedness, He does not give up on me. He brings the encouragement and hope that I desperately need. He is a generous and gracious God.

“But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory and the lifter of my head.”


Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 17, 2014 at 5:03 AM

    Thank you Sara! The Lord is so good to us. All of this is so worth taking the time to meditate on, but one little/big thing that struck me this morning is, "As a follower of Christ I have the most glorious inheritance and honor of being His child." Just a short time ago as I knelt to pray I was worshiping our King of Kings and Lord of Lords and was so amazed with the thought that I am allowed the honor of being called His child. I think God wanted to get this across to me this morning. Thank you again.Praise God!

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