Psalm 3:3 ‘But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”

When bad news comes your way. When you are hit unexpectantly with a serious problem. When you fail or fall. When you face a crushing disappointment. At that moment, your spirit, soul and body react. On the inside it may be a feeling of sadness, hurt or loss. Your spirit feels low, your soul is cast down. And your body begins to mirror what is going on in the inside. Your shoulders slump and your head droops down. You may even hold you head in your hands. 

This is a physiological and psychological human reaction to a feeling of helplessness and weariness. The Psalmist David was in hiding from his treacherous son Absalom. His close friend and confidant, Ahithophel, had turned against him and sided with Absalom. It was a very tough season in David’s life.  Many said of him. ‘There is no help for him in God.’  He himself said, ‘Many are they that rise up against me.’  In the natural, things were looking bleak. Many a man would have given up and thrown in the towel at that point. But not David. He had trusted God many times before, and God never failed him. So, in the midst of this most difficult time, he declares, ‘But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head.’  We all need our heads lifted up in difficult days. Perhaps today this is how you feel. Inside, its sadness, disappointment, hurt or loss. You spirit is low and your soul cast down. Outside, your shoulders have slumped and your head hangs low. But take heart dear one. God is your glory and the lifter of your head. 

You who are parents will well remember the days when your child came home from school, and as soon as they came through the door you could see immediately something was wrong. Their head was drooped on their shoulders. Their eyes were sad and they were unusually quiet. Remember how you gathered them up in your arms, put them on your knee, put your hand underneath their chin, lifted up their head, and looked into their eyes. You lifted up their head because you wanted them to look at you and then look to you. You got them to open up about their day. And why such a sad face? Soon they told you what bothered them and you hugged and kissed them and told them you would deal with it. You were at that moment, the lifter of their head.  Sometimes it is God directly who lifts up your head. At other times he sends a friend, a loved one, a song, a scripture, a phone call, a text. And in that moment your head is lifted up. Your shoulders go back, your spirit rises, your soul is cheered. Today let God be the lifter of your head. 

- Pastor David Goudy