Psalm 3 is a psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son. The lesson sets it against the background of 2 Samuel 12, where Nathan confronted David over Uriah and Bathsheba and announced that the sword would not depart from his house. Absalom’s revolt, the defection of Ahithophel and the curses of Shimei were the working out of that word. Hebrews 12 explains the value of such discipline: the Lord disciplines those He loves, for our good, so that we may share His holiness.
In the middle of this trouble David did not despair. Many said there was no help for him in God, yet he called the Lord his shield and his glory, the One who lifts his head. He cried out, lay down and slept, and woke because the Lord sustained him. He was not afraid of ten thousands, for salvation belongs to the Lord.