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 Light of His Countenance

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,

  
There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

Truly our joy comes from Him.  His grace...His unmatchless grace puts joy in our hearts.  I am sure many in David's ranks had begun to complain and get discouraged. "Who will show us any good"  was probably something that was repeated often and had reached David's ears many times.  Girls, how easy is it to complain and be discouraged by our circumstances? Waiting on God can wear on us . His timing is not our timing.  We want our troubles and trials to end.  We want peace and tranquility. We want an end to the grief and the pain. We begin to complain and in complaining about our circumstances and what we do not have or are not getting we are sinning.  We are complaining against God and saying He is not good. David shows such courage here  He surrenders his complaints to the Lord, by faith asks the Lord to lift up the light of His countenance on him and then speaks of the gladness and joy the Lord has placed in his heart. David is living here for the things that matter.  The eternal.  Outward joy and happiness is temporary. It comes and goes with our circumstances. It is a band aid...not a permanent fix.  David is seeking the inward joy that comes from knowing the Lord of the Universe intimately. This kind of joy defeats discouragement and is steady and continuous as we put our trust in Him. The Psalmist can, despite his circumstances, be joyful because the Lord is his God.  He knows the Lord brings Him only those things that will ultimately be for his good. James tells us "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."  David goes to the source of all that is good.  Others may have been looking for the outward trappings of good, but David knows what will provide him with the most joy...the light of His Lord's countenance upon Him which to David and to each of us is an assurance of His love and His power in our lives.   He knows that whatever happens, he has and will always have the unspeakable satisfaction in His Lord and says that it is more than the joy that comes with a plentiful harvest. 

Contrast Psalm 49: 16-20 with Psalm 21:6 and Psalm 44:3

Psalm 49:16-20

Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
         When the glory of his house is increased;
 ¹⁷ For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
         His glory shall not descend after him.
 ¹⁸ Though while he lives he blesses himself
         (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
 ¹⁹ He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
         They shall never see light.
 ²⁰ A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
         Is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 21:6

For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
.
Psalm 44:3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them.




Girls...I will end with these verses...revel in the joy that knowing Him brings!

Psalm 37:4  Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 43:4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.
Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.
Psalm  63:2  So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.
Psalm 63:3  Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.
Psalm 63:4  Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
Psalm 63:5  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
Psalm 63:6  When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.
Psalm 63:7  Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
Psalm 63:8  My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:9  But those who seek my life, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
Psalm 63:10  They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals.
Psalm 63:11  But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
1Pe 1:8  whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

Love
Mom

Stand in Awe

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,

Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Selah  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD. 

This verse ranks up there with some of the most practical in Scripture.  Listen up!

While meditating on this verse I tried to decide to whom David might have been speaking to here. There are really only three choices: himself and his God, his enemies or the brave men who remained loyal to him during Absalom's rebellion.  I personally believe that David was praying before he retired for the night and was speaking to His God.  To whom he is speaking in this case really does not matter. The advice is good for both the believer and the unbeliever and the application for us the same.

Be angry and do not sin. Sinful anger leads to sinful actions. Their is anger that is not sinful, but I am usually not guilty of that one.  Even if I do have a righteous anger against sin it soon goes down the wrong path toward pride and becomes once again unholy anger. SIGH!  The verse in the King James reads like this:  "Stand in awe and sin not." I love that...stand in awe.  Tremble before the One who holds the power of life and death in His hands.  The One who is truly in control. The One who loves you with an everlasting love and upholds you with His righteous right hand.  If you fear the Lord, you need not fear anything else. David's enemies did not fear David, the rightful king of Israel or the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They were following slander and lies and doing what was right in their own eyes.  They would reap the sad consequences of their sin every day.  Sin is described as a pregnancy in Scripture in at least 3 or 4 different places.  When it grows up it destroys the one who conceived it.  It has judgment built right in.  Galatians 6:7 says a sinners sin comes back on their own heads.  Proverbs 26:27 says they dig pits and fall into them themselves.  Nobody escapes the consequence of sin.  David is thinking rightly here. He had plenty of reasons to be angry.  Betrayal and ungodliness surround him.   He knows his anger could get the best of him and he would then act rashly and take matters into his own hands.  Instead of going down that road, David reminds himself to stand in awe of His God.  Girls, this is so helpful.  As we fill our minds with Him all the foolish thoughts fall away and we behold Him and are comforted. We remember that our defense is of Him. We remember it is not about us...it is about Him...His plans, His purposes and our job is to wait on Him and be obedient to whatever part He has called us.


Meditate within your heart on your bed and be still.  The King James says "commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. David encourages himself to meditate on His God and His word and to commune with his own heart.  He is to do this in the privacy of his own bed and to be still....literally "hands off"!!  The word meditate means to say over and over...think of a cow chewing its cud. It chews, swallows, then regurgitates and repeats the process over and over getting every bit of it digested and every nutrient absorbed.  Our hearts are transformed by his word. Meditation on His word is how our minds are renewed and His good and perfect and acceptable will for discerned.  Girls, instead of allowing your minds to race at night thinking on all that has been done to you by others begin to search your own hearts and be still...wait for Him to speak and show you your own sin.  It is so easy for us to see the sins of others and meditate on it...seeing our own, however, is what we need to be doing.  Matthew 7 talks about judging and planking and specking...don't do it!  Look at your own heart and ask the Lord to reveal those things He wants you to see in your own life. Gaze deeply into the mirror of His word and be transformed into His image. Confess your wrong thoughts to the Lord and be still...wait on Him and be ready to hear what is His prescription.. 1 John 1:9-10 say "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."

Last part...my favorite..."Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."  Do the right thing!!  Do not react according to the dictates of your own heart but respond rightly according to His word.  Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.  Put your trust in Him.  Know that He is your defender.  Be still and know that He is God.  Psalm 37: 6 says  "He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday." Before honor the bible says is humility.  Honor Him by trusting Him to do the work.  Do not trust in your own plans or your own wisdom...they are destined to fail.  Taking offense on behalf of ourselves is always wrong. 

I pray that each of us could have a heart like David had and that when faced with accusations, condemnation and slander we could say like He did in Psalm 7 that our defense is of God.  David loved God fervently and because of His love for God He knew that God was able to perfect all things that concerned Him.  Truly, girls, our God does perform all things for us!

Love
Mom


These are some of the most comforting verses in Scripture...meditate on them...

In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.--Psalm 94:19
I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.--Psalm 57:2
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;--Psalm 138:8

I have included below Psalm 37 in its entirety....

Psalm 37

¹ Do not fret because of evildoers,
         Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
 ² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
         And wither as the green herb.
     
 ³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;
         Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
 ⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD,
         And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
     
 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD,
         Trust also in Him,
         And He shall bring it to pass.
 ⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
         And your justice as the noonday.
     
 ⁷ Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
         Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
         Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
 ⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
         Do not fret—it only causes harm.
     
 ⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off;
         But those who wait on the LORD,
         They shall inherit the earth.
 ¹⁰ For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
         Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
         But it shall be no more.
 ¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the earth,
         And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
     
 ¹² The wicked plots against the just,
         And gnashes at him with his teeth.
 ¹³ The Lord laughs at him,
         For He sees that his day is coming.
 ¹⁴ The wicked have drawn the sword
         And have bent their bow,
         To cast down the poor and needy,
         To slay those who are of upright conduct.
 ¹⁵ Their sword shall enter their own heart,
         And their bows shall be broken.
     
 ¹⁶ A little that a righteous man has
         Is better than the riches of many wicked.
 ¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
         But the LORD upholds the righteous.
     
 ¹⁸ The LORD knows the days of the upright,
         And their inheritance shall be forever.
 ¹⁹ They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
         And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
 ²⁰ But the wicked shall perish;
         And the enemies of the LORD,
         Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.
         Into smoke they shall vanish away.
     
 ²¹ The wicked borrows and does not repay,
         But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
 ²² For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth,
         But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
     
 ²³ The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
         And He delights in his way.
 ²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
         For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
     
 ²⁵ I have been young, and now am old;
         Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
         Nor his descendants begging bread.
 ²⁶ He is ever merciful, and lends;
         And his descendants are blessed.
     
 ²⁷ Depart from evil, and do good;
         And dwell forevermore.
 ²⁸ For the LORD loves justice,
         And does not forsake His saints;
         They are preserved forever,
         But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
 ²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land,
         And dwell in it forever.
     
 ³⁰ The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom,
         And his tongue talks of justice.
 ³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;
         None of his steps shall slide.
     
 ³² The wicked watches the righteous,
         And seeks to slay him.
 ³³ The LORD will not leave him in his hand,
         Nor condemn him when he is judged.
     
 ³⁴ Wait on the LORD,
         And keep His way,
         And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
         When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
 ³⁵ I have seen the wicked in great power,
         And spreading himself like a native green tree.
 ³⁶ Yet he passed away,^[a] and behold, he was no more;
         Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
     
 ³⁷ Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
         For the future of that man is peace.
 ³⁸ But the transgressors shall be destroyed together;
         The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
     
 ³⁹ But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
         He is their strength in the time of trouble.
 ⁴⁰ And the LORD shall help them and deliver them;
         He shall deliver them from the wicked,
         And save them,
         Because they trust in Him.

God is our Witness and Our Defender

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.

"How long, O you sons of men,  Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood?  Selah  But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him"--Psalm 4:2-3


Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

As I mentioned in my previous post, David is being maligned and slandered by men who have turned against him and made Absalom king.  David  is speaking here to them, his enemies, and is referring to them aptly as sons of men.  As I meditated on these words my mind went to psalm 2 which begins with: "Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing.  The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed..." Look at the contrast here...God and the sons of men are at opposite purposes.  God had anointed David to be king not Absalom.  Who do you think is going to win.  Psalm 2 continues with "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.  The Lord shall hold them in derision.  Then He shall speak to them in His wrath and distress them in His deep displeasure.  Yet I have set My King on My Holy Hill of Zion."  God would not be mocked or thwarted from His plans.  His purposes would be served and the men who loved worthlessness and sought after lies would be dealt with for their sins.

Girls, when you are facing the fiery darts of the enemy do what David did.  Acknowledge what is happening but then remember the Lord.  David says it so beautifully in verse 3. "But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself  him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him."  The Lord is your shield and your exceedingly great reward. The sons of men were trying to throw dirt on the glory David had received from His Lord.  Make no mistake here...if you are walking with the Lord in obedience to Him there will be mudslingers all around trying to dim your light by throwing dirt or perhaps trying to provoke you to anger in some way so that your witness is compromised.  Purpose in your heart ahead of time to respond in love...to be gracious...By faith  know that the Lord 's purposes will be served and those who are in opposition will pay dearly for their sins.  God is the witness and the defender of your righteous cause.  He keeps those who trust Him as the apple of His eye. The Lord will hear him who is godly when he calls. The enemy's efforts are futile. The enemy cannot win.  If God is for us who can successfully be against us??  The battle is not ours..it is His and it was won at the cross.

Do not go after worthless and vain things.  They will not profit here or in heaven. Israel comes to mind here when they asked God to put a king over them. Here is the section from 1 Samuel 12. 

"I will call to the LORD, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking a king for yourselves.” So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people.  Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.  But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

Israel had the God of the Universe ruling them with His perfect love and perfect justice, but they insisted on going after worthlessness and lies.  They wanted to be like the world and specifically the other nations around them.  God gave them what they wanted. A human king. Such blindness we think.  We, however, cannot judge. Look closely at your lives.  See the things that you go after that are full of emptiness and not only do not profit but whose end is destruction.  See your own discontented  spirit in your complaining and your lack of thankfulness or in your dissatisfaction in the things the Lord has blessed you with.  Truly only one thing profits both here and in eternity. Mat 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Mat 6:19  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." 

Nothing else matters.... “ Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,  “ All is vanity.”....  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.  For God will bring every work into judgment,  Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil."

Love
Mom

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.