Big Idea: Sadly, life’s conflicts become the baseline of our existence, when it ought to be our trust in the Lord.

Understanding the Text

The essential elements of lament, according to our definition, are the lament itself and the reason for lamenting. Further, the lament of the individual will generally include one or a combination of three complaints: against one’s enemies, against God, or against oneself. In Psalm 3, which is an individual lament, the complaint is against David’s enemies (3:1–2). Moreover, psalms of lament will sometimes have, as does Psalm 3, a “confession of trust” (3:3–6).1In addition to the lament and the confession of trust, this psalm also has a petition (3:7–8a) and a blessing on God’s people (3:8b).

Psalm 3 is the first of the psalms to be attributed to David…