Lift Up Your Head
Psalm 3
I. Introduction
Have you ever found yourself at a point in life where you were so beaten and so discouraged that good news and encouragement were just no where to be found? Well if I have just described where you are today, then you are in luck because I want you to know that God wants you to lift up your head.
Our text is Psalm 3, a lament Psalm that was written by King David. This Psalm is directly linked to 2 Samuel 15, where David is fleeing his son Absalom who is trying to kill him and take over the throne. It is one of only a few Psalms that ties a Psalm to a specific incident in the life of David.
The superscription, or the title above the actual Psalm, is called "The Lord Helps His Troubled People" In our lives we encounter troubles and difficulties and as a natural response we become discouraged and defeated. David certainly had reason to be discouraged and troubled by the turn of events he now found himself in. The same is true in ministry. I am reminded of a pastor who in his first 5 years of the pastorate he hung a sign on his desk that said, "Win the World for Christ!", Then in the second 5 years of his pastorate he changed the sign to read, "Win one or two to Christ", but since that time he put up a third sign that said, "Try not to Lose too many!".
In the short time I have been in the pastorate, certainly not 15 years as this pastor, I feel as though I have needed to hang out all 3 of those signs myself. But whenever I find that I get discouraged God always send a message, usually through one of you great Saints, that always lifts me up and helps me get back on my way for the Lord. For that I deeply thank you.
Today God is sending a message to each of us through His servant, King David, He wants those of you that find yourselves with your heads hung and beaten by discouragement to lift up your head, because He is still God and He still loves you.
There are some points that David makes that I want us to see and ponder in our hearts today.
#1. David cried out his lament to God.
Psalm 3:1-2
David begins this psalm by going to God and telling Him the trouble of his heart. At this point in David’s life there was one specific foe who greatly troubled David, his own son Absalom.
But David states in these first 2 verses that "Many are they who rise up against me". David’s trouble with Absalom had multiplied, no longer was it just his son, but Absalom had raised an army to come against David.
But the problems didn’t stop there. David’s own friends had turned against him telling him that no one would help him, not even God.
Have you ever been in a spot in your life where it seemed you were stuck in a vicious cycle of trouble that turns into discouragement that turns into more trouble that turns into more discouragement? On and on it goes. And in this cycle you have friends that give you great advice like "You don’t need God" or "Some God that would let you come down with cancer" or "Why do you want to go to church there’s no one there that can help you, it’s full of hypocrites"
Does this sound familiar? When you are discouraged and down, have you ever received excellent encouragement like Job got from his wife?
Job 2:9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
Now there is some horrible advice, and thankfully Job didn’t follow it and thankfully David never considered it and thankfully as believers in Jesus Christ we don’t have to either.
Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
Just like David, when we find ourselves in that downward spiral of trouble and discouragement let me encourage you to call out to Jesus, to ask, to seek and when you do so you will find a peace and a love that this world can not understand. A deliverance this world can not grasp.
#2. David made a strong confession of trust.
Psalm 3:3-4
In the words "But You, O Lord," we see David’s heart change from discouragement and dejection to confidence and renewed faith.
David strongly confessed 4 important truths:
1) When no one would help him; God was his shield. God provided the protection that only He can provide against the slings and arrows of evil. He shielded him.
2) When David had nothing to treasure, God was his glory. God meant more to him than all the riches of David’s earthly kingdom. God’s love for David was priceless.
3) When there was no one to encourage him, God Himself would encourage him and lift his head. (explain "lifter of the head").
4) When David cried out God heard him from His holy hill. HEAVEN.
Is your head hung low, are you beaten by trials and the struggles of life? Believers confess Jesus Christ and testify of His greatness in your life.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
When we confess Christ and give testimony for Him we are reminded of His greatness and allow us to come in humility. When we do this His Holy Hands take hold of our head and lift it. Are you rejoicing in that victory?
#3 David’s faith was determined.
Psalm 3:5-6
Given the stress and pressure that David was under, his possible murder, the overthrow of his throne and kingdom, and friends and family turning against him, he must have been a very burdened man and sleep must not have come easy.
When we are faced with tremendous trials and tribulations in our life we often find ourselves struggling to eat or sleep to the point that it effects our health.
David demonstrated strong faith by declaring that he was able to sleep because of God’s sustaining power and grace. My friends the same sustaining power, the same grace, the same peace that David knew and enjoyed, that allowed him to sleep in terrible times, is available to you right now. You just have to have the faith of David to stand upon the rock, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
In order for us to experience the rest that David knew, we must be willing to come to Christ and not only to come to Him but we must also learn from Him. We do that in daily Bible reading, attending small groups study, Sunday School and Worship. The more we learn and the more experience the more our faith becomes determined.
#4 David continued to lift his plea to God.
Psalm 3:7-8
David called out to God to arise, to move and take action in his behalf. He called for God to strike down his enemies, to deliver him from them.
The confrontation before David was a military one. There was ultimately to be a military conclusion that would cost the life of Absalom, even though David wanted his life spared.
David used an image that his enemies were like raging powerful beasts, with their strength located in their jaws. You can think of an alligator or perhaps a large aggressive dog for a picture.
David called upon God to strike at the source of the power of his enemies, breaking their teeth and their jaws.
It is important to note that he was not asking that they be completely destroyed, he was only asking that they would no longer be a threat to him and his kingdom.
David was calling out to God for salvation, to be delivered from not only his enemies but from the trials, the troubles, and yes the discouragement that goes with it.
David finishes his psalm by making a statement, that God’s blessing upon David would also be a blessing upon God’s people. By that he meant that the people, the very people that had turned on David, would see God’s blessing upon David and would turn to God.
To those that are under personal attack, my hope is that you will come to God and let Him be the lifter of your head. When you do this, He WILL bless, He will deliver and when that happens you will be a blessing to your church family because they will bear witness to it. Through your deliverance God will also bless your church.
Church family, maybe you have been like me, God quickly and mightily poured His blessing upon this church and as such we quickly experienced a taste of His goodness upon this church. It was an incredible experience.
My friends, we as a church need to come to the Father, to confess His greatness and our need, to seek His salvation through deliverance and by doing so we can become a testimony to our community. But like David, we must cry out to God and confess our discouragement. We must be deliberate in our faith and rest in God’s deliverance.
Church did you know that God, can also be the lifter of our collective heads? Oh yes He can, through our worship, through the healing of relationships, and through our renewed ministry efforts in the community.
But oh people there is going to be a great and wonderful day when God will lift our heads and hold them high, a day that will be like no other in the life of this old sinful world.
Luke 21:25-28 "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
My friends the description Jesus gave us in Luke sounds very much like today doesn’t it. Wars, Political strife, turmoil in the whole world, 4 hurricanes in a matter of weeks, and now a volcano that has been dormant for more than 20 years is trying to explode.
When Christ comes again all of us that are born again believers of Jesus Christ, everyone of us, God will lift up our heads because the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is coming and when He does He is bringing with Him our redemption from this sinful age.
Invitation:
Yes, as David dealt with trials and discouragement he never lost his faith and confidence that God would deliver him. Why wasn’t he defeated? Because he loved God and was completely dedicated to Him.
Today, perhaps you are here and you have been ravaged by the world. You are so deep in despair and discouragement that light can not shine in the pit you now find yourself in.
Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Have you been covered by the blood of the Lamb? If not, won’t you give your life to Christ today and let Him lift you out of that dark, desperate pit of sin.
Christians, are you hear today and smothering in despair and discouragement? Won’t you come, confess that to God and call out to Him for deliverance. Let Him be the lifter of your head.
Church, I confess to you that I have been discouraged and worried about our unity and our desire to minister. I confess that today, and I ask you to do the same. To pray that God will deliver us and use as a witness to our community, that healing and revival might break out.
Let us be prepared and let us lift our eyes together and rejoice on that great and glorious day when Jesus comes again. Are you ready to lift up your head?
PRAY.
