God Holds Up My Head

But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

Psalm 3:3

In Hebrew, the expression "to hold up one’s head" means to honor that person. So, for example, this is what Pharaoh did to his cupbearer in fulfillment of Joseph's interpretation of the cupbearer's dream (see Gen. 40:12-21). Those who lift up their own heads, therefore, are pridefully sinning (Ps. 140:9). In Psalm 3, God lifts up David's head in order to honor him. It's a sign of divine favor and protection. Thus, the Lord is David’s glory in a double sense. David lives for God’s own glory, and God glorifies David, his faithful servant.

How reassuring it is to know that God is our shield and even the one who holds our heads high. He protects us and allows us to share in his own glory. This does not mean, of course, that we never experience hard times, as the Psalms amply demonstrate. But in life’s tight spaces, we know that God is with us, and that our lives are in his hands. Even death can’t separate us from his persistent love.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: When have you experienced God’s being a shield around you? Why do you think God sometimes lets hard and painful things happen to us? Have you ever sensed that God was honoring you? When? How did it feel?

PRAYER: O Lord, how I thank you for being a shield around me. You protect me from so many terrible things, most of which I’m quite sure I never even know about. Today I’m especially grateful for how you’ve protected me from myself and my own tendency to make poor choices for my life. It’s not that I’ve never failed and felt the consequences. But, so many times, I’ve sensed that you are guiding me in a direction I would not have walked apart from your intervention.

And for lifting my head, what can I say, Lord, but thanks!? Thanks for honoring me and for the incredible promise of one day sharing in your own glory. What an amazing God you are! Amen.