Yesterday was a bad day at work. Right at the end, I was pulled off a project I had poured myself into. I’m talking late nights, long days, difficult conversations. I thought our team was over the hump, but then our multi-billion-dollar client (not a typo) wrote back asking for changes. Two days later, in an after-hours email, I was politely told the next round of changes would be led by someone else. I’ve been trying to smile through it, but I woke up in the middle of the night wondering, “Maybe I just don’t have what it takes.”
Since I wasn’t sleeping anyway, I opened up my Bible app. In general, I’m not a very organized person, but this year, I decided I was going to start each day by reading the app’s verse of the day, watching the short video, and going through the prayer guide. This is what I found:
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. (Psalm 3:3)
Here’s the background: The writer, David, was running for his life, suffering from an even worse “bad day at work.” His son had staged a coup, and David was now being chased by a rebel army. The Psalm opens with, “Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’” David was being sidelined and discredited. His work, his worth, and his reputation were all being questioned.
So, what did David do? He remembered. He remembered who God is. He remembered that God is the one who protects, gives value, and lifts our heads when we can’t look up. And he remembered to pray. (What it actually says is “he cried out”—he prayed from deep in his soul.)
I can’t say my heart did all that, but I did sleep better.
Resources
Amy Seiffert talks about Psalm 3:3 (YouVersion Bible app)
Tim Mackie (from the BibleProject) preaches on Praying the Psalms in Times of Fear
