“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.”
—Psalm 3:3 ESV

People were saying about David, “There is no salvation for him in God” (see v. 2). In other words: “Even God can’t save him.”

That’s what people were saying.

But in this verse David shows us a crucial lesson in facing hardship: it really doesn’t matter what everyone else is saying.

You see, David knew God (he was called a “man after God’s own heart” in 1 Samuel 13:14).

Others might think that even God couldn’t save him, but he knew better.

And so he declared what he knew to be true.

God was his shield. His protection from those who sought to overthrow him as king.

God was his glory in a moment when he was fleeing from his palace in disgrace.

And God was the lifter of his head. When he was tempted to let his head drop in shame, God was the one who gave him hope again.

David teaches us this: opinions about God abound, but at the end of the day they don’t matter. What matters, when you reach your darkest moment, is how well you know God.

Here is a short prayer to help you invite God into every moment of your day:

Inhale: O Lifter of my head,
Exhale: Give me hope again.