Psalm 3:1-3

O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
Many are saying of my soul,
"There is no deliverance for him in God."
But Thou, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My Glory, and the One who lifts my heard.

Opposition, we don't always think that it will come. Many times we are surprised that it does. Yet in living the way that God calls us to, we will.
In moments like this we have a choice of what to focus on, either we focus on the adversary, or we focus on the Deliverer.
Opposition will find us, and at times it will increase. Many will be vocal and say "they are hopeless" or "there is no deliverance for him in God".
If we listen to these voices, and if we shift our perspective to only be these people, this is what we begin to believe.
That is why I love vs. 3 and decided to include it today. I love the phrase "But Thou, O Lord". Any times you see a but in the Bible it usually leads to a big contrast. In the first half of this you see the hopelessness and despair of only focusing on adversity. Then enters "The Lord". Who reaches in and is our Deliverer, despite what people say.
I love the comparison of the Lord being our shield, yet not only that, a shield that is all about me. There is nothing left unprotected.
Something else to realize is that in this culture a shield was not only a defensive weapon but also an offensive one. The had hooks on the sides of them and could be hooked together to form a wall and to take ground against the enemy.
I love the thought of this. The Lord not only defends me, he also helps reclaim the ground that the enemy may have taken.
The Lord is also my glory. God is everything good about me. He is the source of all things good and the source of all praise.
The Lord is the one who lifts my head. You can take this to mean that He is the one that gives us strength. This is true but there is a bit more. In this culture when one went before the king, they would bow and expose the back of their neck. If the king was not pleased with them, then the king would take a sword and that would be the end of it. However, if the king was pleased and had a purpose for the person, he would place the sword under their chin and lift their head. It signified purpose and acceptance.
The Lord is the lifter of my head. He grants me purpose, acceptance (through Christ). He is my defender, protector and helps retake the ground that the enemy has stolen.
May your perspective be on the Lord and not on the opposition. Please pray the same for me.
May God bless!
Thanks for reading,
Britton