Psalm 3: 5-8

Text
I laid me down and slept. I awakened, for thou didst sustain me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, who have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O guide. Make me whole, O my divinity. But, would I wish, that thou smite all mine enemies upon the cheek bone? Or that thou break the teeth of the selfish? Wholeness belongeth unto thee. Thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

Text Notes

• As noted earlier, the original does not indicate whether a given verse is a question or statement. It is a matter of context.
• The word translated "salvation" in the 1611KJV has a broad semantic range: deliverance, safety, restoration. In these Psalms for Meditation, it is usually "wholeness" or a synonym.

Reflection
In this text, meditation leads to a blessing: "I laid me down and slept". Heartfelt cries to our inward guide often lead (eventually) to genuine peace. And, even the confidence to stand against 10,000 others who disagree with our convictions! Sometimes my sense of fairness feels like asking, with the Psalmist, for "the selfish" to have their teeth broken. Then I realize that justice would have to begin with me! What I really require is Wholeness. Throughout the Psalms, there is a continual refrain of thankfulness for true wholeness (or "salvation") in living. What a blessing, amidst life's growing pains, to find a sense of satisfaction and rest in divinity within us.