I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD delivers me.

Psalm 3 v5

Smoke might continue to rise long after the fire is put out and, innocent or not, one embroiled in a scandal will always have that whiff of burning around them. It seems unfair that despite the principle of innocent until proven guilty, once tarred, the accused will always be conscious of a mark even if the stain is removed. You can rewrite history but the rubbings out remain. It’s as if we imagine the perfect life to be one of continuous success without regret but the truth is: those that are most successful are often those that make the most mistakes on the way. Strength comes from persevering even when falsely accused, not blaming your situation on circumstances but triumphing over adversity.

Psalm 3 is King David’s cry to God when he has been hounded out of Jerusalem by Absalom, his own son. Looking back, David would see a chain of events leading up to this treachery beginning with his own sinful actions. As an insult to his father, Absalom sleeps with his father’s concubines in a tent erected in full view of the residents of Jerusalem but David can’t point the finger without considering his adulterous liaison with Bathsheba. He takes it on the chin acknowledging that God can remove or restore his kingship as he wills. In 2 Samuel 15 we read that David takes the Ark of the Covenant with him as he flees but sends it back to Jerusalem where it belongs. In his distress David wants God in the centre of his world like a genie in a bottle but he knows that, instead, his heart must be in the centre of God’s will. If he’s to be king it can only be in Jerusalem.

David begins by counting his foes. He knows they are saying, “God will not deliver him”, and these are his own people. In the next breath he declares, “You bestow glory on me and lift up my head”. “He answers me from his holy hill”. David assumes God’s blessing, not in arrogance but because God isn’t one to change his mind. The Ark still resides in Jerusalem and he is still God’s anointed. Though tens of thousands oppose him David is able to sleep and when he awakes he understands that it was God who kept him through the night.

What do we know of God’s character except what he shows as a mentor in our own lives? Would it be arrogant to pray to God, “do what I would do”? Is it not a compliment when our children tell us to do what we have been telling them for years? From his own kingship, David to some degree understands the mind of God and how the King of kings would deal with his adversaries. “Arise, O Lord”, says David, “and do what you would have me do”.

“From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people”. David isn’t just king of his castle, he’s the leader of his people. What he knows of God he wishes for those who look up to him. All will be resolved, God will be glorified and the people will be blessed.

Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (c) 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission.