The Goodness of God Sustains Us

Psalm 3; Corinthians 1:4-9; 2 Samuel 13-18

Jun 10, 2025

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.

I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. (Psalm 3:3-5).

A young child sleeps peacefully, curled beside a regal shield bearing a crowned lion—symbolizing trust, rest, and divine protection. — “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.” —Psalm 3:5. Image by author via Night Cafe Studios

It would be hard to argue that David lived one of the more complicated spiritual lives of anyone in the Bible. Plucked out of obscurity, chosen by God to be king, warrior, conqueror, hero, murderer, friend, lover of many women (most of whom he lusted after first), and father to many children. He rode the highs of victories and was felled by pride. He rose to prominence only to find himself hiding from his enemies in caves. He showed mercy sometimes and unhinged destruction at other times. He was called a "man after God's own heart," yet he sinned in the most grievous ways (Acts 13:22). His life was a series of extreme disobedience and extreme devotion to God.

David's legacy as the great King of Israel was marred by the way he managed his family. He had many wives and concubines, and they all bore him children--who did not always get along. David played favorites among his sons, with devastating consequences. His favorite son, Absalom (2 Samuel 12:26-13:27), inherited David's good looks and charm, carrying a vindictive streak that led to murdering his half-brother (2 Samuel 13), trying to overthrow David (2 Samuel 17), and ultimately dying in his arrogance (2 Samuel 18).

During the years Absalom warred with David, his father, David found himself on the run, much as he had when he was young and King Saul wanted David dead. David's despair led him back to the safety of God, the Lord whom he loved--even when his favorite son sought to murder him. In Psalm 3, David recognized the sustaining power of God as Absalom chased him down. He called God a shield, his glory, and the lifter of his head. God protected David so completely that David was able to sleep, even as his own child tried to kill him.

God's sustaining power holds the universe, but is not passive in our lives; it is an expression of His goodness in action. In Psalm 3, David uses סָמַךְ (sāmaḵ) to describe the way God sustained him in the middle of his enemies. סָמַךְ (sāmaḵ) is a verb meaning "uphold," "brace," or "prop;" an active word indicating that God alone does the work, so those who lean on Him can rest completely. To be sustained by the Lord is to be fully reliant and dependent on him, no matter how bad things may look. David's unrestrained trust that the Lord will sustain him reminds us that nothing will snatch us out of the Father's hand (John 10:28). Whether the situation was one of David's own making or something that God allowed so that He might be glorified, David consistently slept and rested under the Lord's watchful care:

Psalm 3: "I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me."
Psalm 16: "My flesh also dwells secure."
Psalm 23: "He makes me lie down in green pastures."
Psalm 127: "He gives to his beloved sleep."

The sustaining power of God continues as a thread through the New Testament as well. When Paul spoke at the Areopagus in Acts 17, he proclaimed God as the one who "made the world and everything in it…he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything" (vv 24-27). Paul wrote to the church at Corinth that Jesus "will sustain you to the end" (1 Corinthians 1:8). In the letter to the Hebrews, the author reminded readers that Jesus "is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the work of his power" (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus is the one who has everything under his feet--including the things that are over our heads (Hebrews 2:8). Furthermore, we are called to "strive to enter that rest," much as David did when he relinquished control of his own life to the protection of God.

Jesus is our salvation (Hebrews 5:9;1 John 2:2), our King (Hebrews 4:16; 12:2), and our High Priest (Hebrews 6:18-20). The Father's sustaining goodness anchors us so that we can rest—knowing that even while we sleep, He continues the work in and through us for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

Trials and troubles are part of this life. Some come by circumstances; others come through our own poor choices. Few people flee from their children's murderous intentions, but we all run from something. We all try to hide from the overwhelming presence of fear, grief, regret, or shame. In these moments, we can remind ourselves that God's goodness will sustain us even in the worst moments of life. He is a shield that protects our hearts, the glory that reflects his sovereignty, and the giver of peace so that we may sleep in safety and awaken, sustained by His goodness and prepared for whatever lies ahead.

Defaulting to Grace

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