Topic: THE GOD WHO LIFTS OUR HEADS – Right From The Heart Daily Devotional by Bryant Wright Ministry 20 January 2025
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THE GOD WHO LIFTS OUR HEADS
January 20, 2025
Jonathan Munson, Executive Director, RFTH
“But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high”
Psalm 3:3
Do you suffer from ‘text neck?’
‘Text neck’ is an uncomfortable physical condition caused by continuously looking down at our phones.
As it turns out, the repetitive stress of texting and scrolling isn’t good for our necks.
In Psalm 3, David is suffering from an ailment far worse than ‘text neck.’ You see, David wrote this psalm when his son, Absalom, led a revolt against him and seized his throne. As he fled Jerusalem, David looked down in shame, avoiding eye contact at all costs. He felt as if he’d failed, not only as a king but as a father. So, David’s head wasn’t just hanging low; it was dragging on the ground.
Question: Where do you go when you’re discouraged and your head is hanging low?
Corrie Ten Boom, a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp during WWII, once said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.”
I’m no expert, but I believe Corrie is onto something.
When our heads are hanging low, it usually means we’ve become fixated on our problems and absorbed in our negative emotions. It’s understandable that we feel this way, but it’s not sustainable for us to live this way.
We have to make a choice:
Will we run from God and let life push us into the pit of despair?
-OR-
Will we run to the only One who can lift our heads and give rest to our souls?
Knowing he couldn’t find hope within himself or look to the world to save him, David “cried out” in prayer (Psalm 3:4). The Lord revealed Himself as David’s “shield,” “glory,” and “the lifter of his head.”
The good news is that God hasn’t changed one bit.
What He did for David, He can do for us.
Let’s briefly unpack these incredible truths:
Our Shield
A shield isn’t passive; it’s an active defense that absorbs blows meant for us. God desires to protect us from the enemy’s “flaming arrows” of doubt and discouragement (Ephesians 6:16). By finding our protection and security in Him, we can rise again and withstand the onslaught of life’s challenges.
Our Glory
As king, David has experienced the most splendid glories imaginable: wealth, victories, power, etc. However, in this moment of defeat, he is reminded that earthly glory is fleeting. David’s self-worth is found in his relationship with the Lord. God and God alone are David’s glory and honor.
The One Who Lifts Our Heads
Like a parent does for a hurting child, the Lord stoops to tenderly lift David’s head. He shifts David’s perspective, renews his confidence, and encourages his soul. By the time his prayer is over, David is a changed man. He no longer looks down but up.
To be clear, David isn’t self-assured or confident that his circumstances will change anytime soon.
Instead, David is infused with an indestructible confidence in God. He knows that God will not abandon him.
Though surrounded by his enemies, David can rest and is unafraid of whatever tomorrow may bring (Psalm 3:5,6). By the end of Psalm 3, it’s clear that his encounter with the Lord completely transformed his countenance.
Right now, the Lord wants to do the same thing for you.
If you’re a believer, how much more is Jesus, “The Son of David,” (Matthew 1:1) your “shield,” your “glory,” and “the lifter of your head!” He has taken away your shame and replaced it with His righteousness. He gave His life on the cross so that if you ever doubt His love, you can look up, and know He is always for you, not against you.
No matter what’s going on in your life or how bleak your future may appear, the Lord wants to lift your head. He wants you to look up and lock eyes with Him and trust that somehow, some way, He’s got this whole thing under control.
Run to Him!
The Lord is your shield. The Lord is your glory.
He is the God who lifts your head.
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