What brought David comfort and peace during this tumultuous time was remembering what God had done for him. Psalm 4:1 says, "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer."
David's call to "hear my prayer" was not so much a demand as it was an expression of faith, knowing that God would hear his prayer. Why would David believe God would hear his prayer? Because God had heard his prayers before, and answered them. God had a track record of coming through for David. He enlarged him while he was in distress.
He also had a track record of coming through for Israel, and had to remind them often of the ways He had delivered and blessed them. May we never be guilty of forgetting what God has done for us. May God never have to remind us of all that He has done for us.
Despite God having His hand on David, however, people still turned against him and sought his demise. Psalm 4:2 says "O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah."
God is our glory. He is our Salvation. Yet, people will ridicule us and oppose us, even judge us, because of our faith in Him. They will turn our glory into our shame. Why do people do this? Because they love the temporary things of this earth (vanity) and believe lies (seek after leasing) rather than the truth of God's word. Increasingly, the world is becoming anti-Chrisian, but that is another topic for another day.
We can take comfort in knowing that God has set us apart, and thus will hear our prayers. (Verse 3.) We are different from the rest of the world, and we enjoy a special position of fellowship with God. He hears our prayers, He teaches us, and He works out the problems in our lives.
He stands in the gap for us. He provides for us. He gives us hope in hopeless situations, and He gives us a peace that surpasses all understanding.(Psalm 4:6 says He lifts up our heads. Psalm 4:7 says He fills our hearts with gladness, more gladness than the lost world has when their finances are booming.)
But this special position we believers have with God should not puff us up with pride. Psalm 4:4-5 says:
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORDWe are to commune in our own hearts. That means we are to examine ourselves... introspect... check our true intentions and what is in our hearts. We are to offer the sacrifices of righteousness, which for us today means that we are to adopt the lifestyle of a Christian, and trust the LORD.
David closes out Psalm 4 with verse 8, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety."
David is on the run, fleeing Absalom, who seeks to kill him for the throne. David needs to be on guard, watch for any attackers, and be vigilant lest his enemies catch him napping. What does he do? He goes to bed. Why? Because David knows that he is only as safe as the Lord keeps him.
There is a verse in Psalm 127 that says "except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." If God is not in your efforts, your efforts will fail.
I am reminded of a Chrysler commercial which said good things come to those who work, who stay up later, who work harder, who pay more attention to detail. While hard work yields rewards, we need to remember that it is God Who blesses our efforts.
So, if you are living in God's will, you can rest. The Bible teaches that God gives His beloved rest. So often, we feel that we have to do everything, provide everything and earn everything. David said only the LORD makes him to dwell in safety. For us, only God can meet all our needs. It's time we trust Him.
King David was amazing. In the worst of times, he trusted God and praised Him. We should do no less. May God bless you.
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