Beloved of the Lord - Sleep in Peace

 

Beloved of the Lord - Sleep in Peace

Psalm 4

 1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

         You have relieved me in my distress;

         Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

 2 How long, O you sons of men,

         Will you turn my glory to shame?

         How long will you love worthlessness

         And seek falsehood?  Selah

 3 But know that the LORD has set apart[a] for Himself him who is godly;

         The LORD will hear when I call to Him.

 4 Be angry, and do not sin.

         Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Selah

 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

         And put your trust in the LORD.

 6 There are many who say,

         “Who will show us any good?”

         LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.

 7 You have put gladness in my heart,

         More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

 8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

         For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.--Psalm 4:8

This is the final installment of Psalm 4.  I was so blessed in the meditation and memorization of it. 

Lying down in peace and sleeping was quite a feat for someone going through all that David was going through. It is also quite an accomplishment today.  If we are thinking human beings, there is truly much to be concerned about...much to keep us awake at night fretting.  When we know, however, that our peace, safety and sufficiency comes from our sovereign God we can relax.  Psalm 94:19 says "In the multitude of my anxieties within, your comforts delight my soul."  Another one I love is from Psalm 138.  "The Lord will perfect all that concerns me." Or Psalm 57:2 "I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me."  

Reassured, the psalmist's turmoil subsides. He can now lie down in peace and sleep, knowing that it is the LORD who makes him dwell in safety.  I looked up the word safety in the Strong's.  Here is what it gives the idea of: a place of refuge...the fact and the feeling of security and trust...someone who can have assurance and be without care...wow!!  That is quite a change in attitude from the 1st verse.

Memorize this Psalm, girls,  Recite it when you can't sleep or wake up in the early morning hours with your mind racing with concerns.  It has been spoken of as God's tranquilizer. I am so glad I am the Lord's beloved...truly the antidote for anxiety and a lack of peace is the Lord and His Word.  Jehovah...the Becoming One...He Becomes whatever we need...so glad He is mine.

Deuteronomy 33:12 "“The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long;  And he shall dwell between His shoulders.” 

Love

Mom

Philippians 4:6-8 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Psalm 3:5 I lay down and slept;  I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.

Psalm 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Proverbs 3:24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

The Blessings of Goodness…

 

Spurgeon says the following about Psalm 21:

The title gives us but little information; it is simply, To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. Probably written by David, sung by David, relating to David, and intended by David to refer in its fullest reach of meaning to David's Lord. It is evidently the fit companion of Psalm Twenty, and is in its proper position next to it. Psalm Twenty anticipates what this regards as realized. If we pray to-day for a benefit and receive it, we must, ere the sun goes down, praise God for that mercy, or we deserve to be denied the next time. It has been called David's triumphant song, and we may remember it as The Royal Triumphal Ode. "The king" is most prominent throughout, and we shall read it to true profit if our meditation of him shall be sweet while perusing it. We must crown him with the glory of our salvation; singing of his love, and praising his power, The next psalm will take us to the foot of the cross, this introduces us to the steps of the throne.

Spurgeon divides it this way:

Verses 1-6:  a thanksgiving for victory

Verses 7-13:  confidence of further success

For this devotional my focus will be on the first portion of verse 3.

For You meet him with the blessings of goodness; 

Or in the King James

For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness…

The word prevent in verse 3 means “to see to it beforehand.”  It could also be read this way…For thou preventest—or precedest—him with the blessing of goodness.” King David celebrates the fact that God had gone before them in battle with the blessings of goodness. I love that we serve a God who is not only always with us but goes before us.  He doesn’t allow us to walk alone and He never lags behind.  He goes before us. His blessings of goodness are waiting for us as we make His footsteps our pathway.  Such a beautiful encouraging picture of God’s unfailing love to us who believe as we walk through this dark world. 

For this is God,

Our God forever and ever;

He will be our guide

Even to death—Psalm 48:14

You led Your people like a flock

By the hand of Moses and Aaron.—Psalm 77:20

And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.—John 10:4

And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.—Deuteronomy 8:2

"Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.' Yet, for all that, you did not believe the LORD your God, who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.—Deuteronomy 1:29-33

And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.—Deuteronomy 31:7, 8

Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.—Isaiah 45:1–3

But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.—Matthew 26:32

Oh, how great is Your goodness,

Which You have laid up for those who fear You,

Which You have prepared for those who trust in You

In the presence of the sons of men!

You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence

From the plots of man;

You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion

From the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the LORD,

For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!

For I said in my haste,

"I am cut off from before Your eyes";

Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications

When I cried out to You.

Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!

For the LORD preserves the faithful,

And fully repays the proud person.

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart,

All you who hope in the LORD. —Psalm 31:19-24