Do You Have Confidence in God’s Protection?

Commentary

This Psalm was thought to have been written when David took flight from his own palace to hide himself from his rebellious son Absalom. The historical background for this can be found in 2 Samuel 15-17. David felt that he was in the minority. There may have been as many as 10,000 soldiers surrounding him at this time (v. 6). Not only did David’s enemies view life differently, they actually sought to harm him. As King, David could have trusted his army to defeat Absalom. Instead, he depended upon God’s (Protection) mercy (v. 4), knowing that God’s great purpose would prevail.

In the face of adversaries who said God had abandoned him and that he was doomed to death, David’s confidence in God was not shaken. He said that God was the true source of his protection, and he gives evidence that he was confident that God would restore him to his throne. In fact, he was so sure that God would destroy them that he wrote as if it had already happened. He concludes by saying “salvation,” which in this case means deliverance, comes from the Lord (v. 8). As God’s people we should pray to Him under similar circumstances. If we completely trust the Lord for protection, we can lie down and go to sleep even amid danger (v. 5). God never sleeps (Ps. 121:3-4), so why should we stay awake and worry? When circumstances go against us it is tempting to think that God is against us. But David reminds us that the opposite is true. Don’t blame God; seek Him! When everything seems to go against us, God is still for us. 

Application

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being complete confidence) how would people rate me as to my complete confidence in God’s protection?  It is possible for me to lie down and go to sleep, as David did, with my adversaries sur­rounding me?