But you, God, shield me on all sides; You ground my feet, you lift my head high; with all my might I shout up to God, His answers thunder from the holy mountain. Psalm 3:3-4 (TM)

David’s description of being surrounded on all sides was literally true. Before he was king of Israel, David spent many years living in the desert south of Jerusalem. I’ve been there (see picture). Believe me, it couldn’t have been a fun place to live. To the north was King Saul who had put a significant price on David’s head. To the south and east was Israel’s historic enemy the Amalekites. To the south and west he had the Philistines to contend with. David was literally surrounded.

In the midst of this impossible situation, David could look back and remember that Samuel had anointed him king. It was God’s promise that he would someday sit on the throne of Israel. God was for him and he believed it. David wasn’t trusting in himself, his military genius, or his personal cunning to get him through. He was trusting that God would deliver on His promise, and in order to do that God would have to protect him – so he chose to believe that too.

What a great reminder. In the midst of difficult circumstances (far less dire than David’s) am I trusting myself, am I giving up, or am I believing God’s promises to me?