Walking through the Psalms (4)
Psalm 4 (reaction)
The first verse of the fourth psalm is familiar in that it's David crying out to God. The further up and in that I've come into my relationship with the Lord, I've begun to better understand the importance of crying out to God. It's more than simply saying "I'm scared, save me!" Now that is certainly a legitimate way to cry out to the Lord. But I have cried out to God, "Lord! I am hurting. I am so stupid. Or I am so confused by what you're doing in my life God and I am hurt by this not knowing." Crying out to God is such a versatile, deep thing that I think we should all be willing to very quickly do when we are distressed, and hurting. I love how David seems so demanding, but at the same time so aware of God's right place...calling Him "my righteous God" and saying, "be merciful with me and hear my prayer." Cry out to God, express to Him what is going on in the depths of your heart, but never lose perspective of our place to His. He sits upon a throne that is not only His alone, but is a manifestation of His immeasurable power. Even as we look up to Him, we have still been lifted up by His Spirit, as without His Spirit we cannot even understand our lack of it, or have any desire to cry out to Him.
The next two verses seemed disjointed at first, out of place, but after thinking it through, it comes across as David having cried out to the Lord and then "looking" around him to see other men turning away from God, loving themselves, the world, before the one that made them. I love it when David says in verse 3, "Know that the Lord has set apart the Godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call to Him."
I get this vivid picture in my head, of being a father, and having a son that calls everything else "Papa" but me, his true father. What a painful, terrible vision of what we have done to God! We were made to worship and we all worship, but we do not all worship God. That, is shame.
Verse 4 is some wonderful wisdom. Though the first part, "In your anger do not sin;" seems a bit disconnected from the next part of the verse, "when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." But both lines speak to me of discipline, of the heart, the mind, the body. There is a definite power in stillness of the hear, mind and body.
If you have not tried it, find a place where you can be alone for a time, even if only for five to ten minutes and be still, be silent and as thoughts and distractions come up in your mind, just gently set them aside and commit a time of silence to God, that He may speak in or that He may simply be silent in and be with you. Just a thing I've thought about over the years.
Verse 5 is a continuing of the good advice for life, saying "Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord." Just because we live in a world freed from the need for blood sacrifice by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross does not mean that we don't have any further need of sacrifice. Part of trusting in the Lord is sacrifice, setting aside your need to control and to understand and simply having faith in the Lord to teach you what you should know and to show you where to go. And even further, sacrificing our own personal desires, denying ourselves, for the glory of God. Having a conversation with an unbeliever about Jesus and the gift he offers instead of focusing on the worldly task at hand. Don't play that single player game on your Xbox, play a two player game and spend time with your little brother. Read your book later, and go play basketball with your father and brothers. Workout early, so you can spend time with your mother, just to talk. Don't haunt facebook all day, walk the dogs, so your mother doesn't have to do it when she get's home from work.
We have so many opportunities to offer right sacrifices to God in our lives. Those were just some of mine. If you are truly walking with God, ask Him for those opportunities to deny yourself, ask Him to teach you how to sacrifice.
But always remember to be careful what you ask God for. He does not sit idly by when we make requests of Him. He is not tame.
The fourth Psalm ends with...
"Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:6-8)
The theme of this entire Psalm seems to me to be one of our relationship with and to God. He rules. He loves. He preserves. He deserves...our worship. He leads us in right living, if we would but seek His wisdom. He satisfies where no other satisfies. He protects and preserves and gives us a peace born of His assuring presence. That last verse is so wonderful.
I lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Even though we can never fully understand God, He continues to reveal aspects of His nature, power, and character to us...God can be understood. Though He is not tame, He is just, merciful, loving, creative, and a host of other things. He wants to reveal more of Himself to us. Are we listening? We does our joy come from?
The first verse of the fourth psalm is familiar in that it's David crying out to God. The further up and in that I've come into my relationship with the Lord, I've begun to better understand the importance of crying out to God. It's more than simply saying "I'm scared, save me!" Now that is certainly a legitimate way to cry out to the Lord. But I have cried out to God, "Lord! I am hurting. I am so stupid. Or I am so confused by what you're doing in my life God and I am hurt by this not knowing." Crying out to God is such a versatile, deep thing that I think we should all be willing to very quickly do when we are distressed, and hurting. I love how David seems so demanding, but at the same time so aware of God's right place...calling Him "my righteous God" and saying, "be merciful with me and hear my prayer." Cry out to God, express to Him what is going on in the depths of your heart, but never lose perspective of our place to His. He sits upon a throne that is not only His alone, but is a manifestation of His immeasurable power. Even as we look up to Him, we have still been lifted up by His Spirit, as without His Spirit we cannot even understand our lack of it, or have any desire to cry out to Him.
The next two verses seemed disjointed at first, out of place, but after thinking it through, it comes across as David having cried out to the Lord and then "looking" around him to see other men turning away from God, loving themselves, the world, before the one that made them. I love it when David says in verse 3, "Know that the Lord has set apart the Godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call to Him."
I get this vivid picture in my head, of being a father, and having a son that calls everything else "Papa" but me, his true father. What a painful, terrible vision of what we have done to God! We were made to worship and we all worship, but we do not all worship God. That, is shame.
Verse 4 is some wonderful wisdom. Though the first part, "In your anger do not sin;" seems a bit disconnected from the next part of the verse, "when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." But both lines speak to me of discipline, of the heart, the mind, the body. There is a definite power in stillness of the hear, mind and body.
If you have not tried it, find a place where you can be alone for a time, even if only for five to ten minutes and be still, be silent and as thoughts and distractions come up in your mind, just gently set them aside and commit a time of silence to God, that He may speak in or that He may simply be silent in and be with you. Just a thing I've thought about over the years.
Verse 5 is a continuing of the good advice for life, saying "Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord." Just because we live in a world freed from the need for blood sacrifice by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross does not mean that we don't have any further need of sacrifice. Part of trusting in the Lord is sacrifice, setting aside your need to control and to understand and simply having faith in the Lord to teach you what you should know and to show you where to go. And even further, sacrificing our own personal desires, denying ourselves, for the glory of God. Having a conversation with an unbeliever about Jesus and the gift he offers instead of focusing on the worldly task at hand. Don't play that single player game on your Xbox, play a two player game and spend time with your little brother. Read your book later, and go play basketball with your father and brothers. Workout early, so you can spend time with your mother, just to talk. Don't haunt facebook all day, walk the dogs, so your mother doesn't have to do it when she get's home from work.
We have so many opportunities to offer right sacrifices to God in our lives. Those were just some of mine. If you are truly walking with God, ask Him for those opportunities to deny yourself, ask Him to teach you how to sacrifice.
But always remember to be careful what you ask God for. He does not sit idly by when we make requests of Him. He is not tame.
The fourth Psalm ends with...
"Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:6-8)
The theme of this entire Psalm seems to me to be one of our relationship with and to God. He rules. He loves. He preserves. He deserves...our worship. He leads us in right living, if we would but seek His wisdom. He satisfies where no other satisfies. He protects and preserves and gives us a peace born of His assuring presence. That last verse is so wonderful.
I lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Even though we can never fully understand God, He continues to reveal aspects of His nature, power, and character to us...God can be understood. Though He is not tame, He is just, merciful, loving, creative, and a host of other things. He wants to reveal more of Himself to us. Are we listening? We does our joy come from?
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