But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. – Psalm 3:3 CSB

  This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible, and when I really started taking Scripture memorization seriously, it was one of the first I committed to memory. In this short verse we get to reflect on and praise God, we get reassurance of His presence and protection, and we even get a glimpse of what He does for us in our lives. It’s rich and it’s comforting, all in one.

Study Note:

3:3 The image of God as a shield is common, especially in the Psalms (18:30; 115:9; 144:2). It represents protection during a time of attack. A more unusual description is identifying God as one’s glory. The Hebrew word kavod (lit “heavy”) is often used of a person’s reputation or significance, sometimes being translated as “honor.” Its use here seems to indicate that the psalmist found his own significance and honor linked to his relationship with the Lord rather than in his own strength. (CSB Study Bible: Notes. 2017. Holman Bible Publishers. Nashville, Tennessee.)

  The wording of “shield” in this verse is also the same word used in Gen. 15:1.

After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be very great. -Gen. 15:1 CSB

  Both instances we are being shown that the Lord is our shield of protection. He is with us, He is surrounding us, He is our defense, and He doesn’t want us to live in fear. He wants us to have confidence in His ability to shield us from anything outside His will. He is good and we can find our glory and significance when we are linked to Him.

Personal Reflection:

  The imagery in Psalm 3:3 is another reason that I love it so much. The visualization of lifting up the psalmist’s head always takes me to Luke 13:13 in the story of the woman whom Jesus healed on the Sabbath.

As he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for over eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, “Woman, you are free of your disability.” Then he laid his hands on her, and instantly she was restored and began to glorify God. -Luke 13:10-13 CSB

  This woman had been bent over and could not stand up straight. Her head was down. But just as Psalm 3:3 states of God, Jesus healed her and made her stand up straight, lifting up her head. When we find our significance in Jesus, when we look to God as our shield, and when we fully trust His will for our lives, we can experience the same thing that the psalmist and the healed woman did. We can be lifted too.