By Political chaos does not only affect politicians. Everyone under the rule bear the suffering of political chaos. The future of everyone seems bleak. Knowing that evil leaders are using national services to benefit themselves with no care for the average citizen fills us with anger, despair, uncertainly, a sense of hopelessness, and a desire to flee.
David, himself a king, and therefore a politician, felt the sting of political chaos very keenly when his own son tried to usurp him as king. Psalm 3 is the prayer of King David when experiencing political chaos. But it is not written as a politician primarily, as much as it is written from the heart of a father whose own son is the evil politician. David is not mourning the state of the nation, as much as he is contemplating his own personal state.
Psalm 3:1-2 retell the level of despair and hopelessness that overcame David’s heart during this time of political unrest.
Psalm 3:3-4 reminds us that no politician has yet been able to remove prayer from the hearts of the saints. In prayer we rejoice that although the government no longer protects the righteous, God is still like a shield over us, and as an encouraging prop under us keeping us standing. No level of corruption has yet interfered with the prayers of the saints being answered by the Lord God.
Psalm 3:5-6 proves that faith overcomes chaos every time. It is the man who, though fully aware of the chaos, still sleeps peacefully each night, who knows God. It is a fearful thing to live in a country where evil is committed by every level of leadership, but for believers that fear is put aside during sleeping hours, for God is watching over us.
Psalm 3:7-8 impresses on our hearts a hope that one day all things will be well again – not because some more noble politician will be voted in at the next election, but because God will bring deliverance at His time and in His way, and it will result in blessing on His people.
Do not set your heart on a well-run country with ethical leaders and wise economic decisions. Rather set your heart on God and on the kingdom that He will bring one day. Then the worst of political chaos will produce a psalm.