Psalm 3:
1O LORD, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
2Many are saying of my soul,
"There is no deliverance for him in God." Selah.
3But You, O LORD, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
4I was crying to the LORD with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah.
5I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.
6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God!
For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek;
You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8 Salvation belongs to the LORD;
Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.
Psalm 3
Mary Beth Hough
Verse 1:
Arise, O LORD!
Come rescue me!
Arise, O LORD!
Come rescue me!
Verse 2:
The enemy pursues me.
He says, "You won't break free."
Arise, O LORD!
Come rescue me!
Chorus:
You are a shield about me,
My Glory,
and the Lifter of my head!
You are a shield about me,
My Glory,
and the Lifter of my head.
You lift up my head!
Verse 3:
I lay down and sleep,
for You're watching over me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousand enemies!
Chorus
Bridge:
Salvation, Salvation, Salvation belongs to the LORD.
My Salvation, Salvation, Salvation belongs to the LORD.
Salvation, Salvation, Salvation belongs to the LORD.
My Salvation, Salvation, Salvation belongs to the LORD.
Honesty. Transparency. Realness. This is what God desires.
Psalm 51:6: "Behold, you desire truth in the innermost place--You teach me wisdom in the secret heart."
Jesus said, "God is Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).
The Lord didn't say true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in striving or in Spirit and in obligation. He said, "Spirit and in truth." There is something so beautiful with this thought for me. Jesus is talking of God the Father desiring worshipers who will worship Him in Spirit and truth. One requirement is that we must have the Spirit of God living in us to worship Him--His Spirit that is given only through accepting Jesus' payment for sin in our place and believing that He is alive now. Then, the second component in this marriage is to worship Him in truth. In the context of why Jesus is saying this, the Samaritan woman at the well has just asked Him about where is the correct place to worship God. Jesus goes to the heart of the matter, by saying (essentially), "Woman, it's not the place. It's that you are marked by Me and sealed with My Spirit and that you are honest enough to let me change you." Why it is that I think (I could be wrong) Jesus says this is because the Samaritan woman, like me, has junk in her life. It needs to be dealt with, and the only way that happens is through communicating honestly with God--letting Him meet us where we are.
For so long, I believed that God wanted me to fake it. I thought He wanted a good and righteous outward appearance. More than that, I thought that God wasn't able to accept how much I have failed. I have failed His expectations--but, most of them were my expectations. Deep down, I believed that He was seriously disappointed in me. I was simply too much. Since the time that Jesus ambushed me, His grace has given me a glimmer of hope that maybe God really does love me. And maybe, just maybe, He can change all things.
God can see right through my failed attempts to please Him; my failed attempts to fake it; my failed attempts to be right before Him; my failed attempts to find the significance that I so desire. And, attempt I do everyday. Many moments throughout my day I make these vain attempts.
The truth: I need Jesus. I need Him. I need the Son of God, who alone is able to save me. I need Him to continuously save me; redeem my false ideas of God; and cut to my core...for that's the kind of worship that the Father wants: Spirit and His truth from the core.
