Psalm 4
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.
1 Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make groundless accusations?
How long will you continue your lies? Interlude
3 You can be sure of this:
The Lord set apart the godly for himself.
The Lord will answer when I call to him.
4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude
5 Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,
and trust the Lord.
6 Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
Let your face smile on us, Lord.
7 You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
Introduction
Psalm 4 is a companion to Psalm 3: both are related to David’s distress when Absalom chased him out of Jerusalem, threatening his life and desiring his office. Psalm 3 is David’s morning prayer and Psalm 4 is his evening prayer. Before we get into the message, there are a couple of things that AMAZE me.
- First, I am absolutely amazed at how God uses David to write these beautiful Psalms that inspire me. David was far from perfect, yet he writes the most beautiful poetry in the world. I marvel, I am astounded at how these hymns inspire and lift me and millions like me.
- I am equally impressed that God can use our sorrow to touch the lives of others. David wrote these beautiful and inspiring hymns while he was in a state of distress. Is this amazing or what!
- One other think I would mention is David’s spiritual disciplines. He begins, spends and ends his day with prayer. Awesome!
Transition
How did David weather this storm of distress?
Before I try to answer this question: let’s think for a moment about the conditions that caused David’s distress.
- David’s life, job, security, family is being threatened by Absalom’s rebellion and Absalom has the support of the vast majority.
- David has been the victim of a “Smear campaign.“ The democrats did not invent slander even though they seem to have a corner on the market. David’s reputation had been tarnished.
- David is forced from his home; put to flight. Anyone of these things would cause distress but David faces all three.
How did David deal with this Crisis?
First: David Prayed
Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
Dr. Jack Taylor said that we Baptist want to prayer so we can get on with the business, but PRAYER IS THE BUSINESS. Nothing is more important than prayer. My wife and I are in some distress as I speak. {Illustration: a rebellious child] In our distress, there is only one thing we can do…PRAY.
Second: He Calmed Himself With the Assurance of God’s Sovereign Love.
You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for Himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him.
Charles Spurgeon said, “The sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which we lay our heads at night.” I don’t know much but one thing I do know is that God is in absolute control and I am not. My daughter pays no attention to anything I say; she is destroying her life and I seem forced to watch but I know that God is in control. He can bring good out of bad. He can turn sorrow into joy just like He turned water into wine. David knew that God chose and anointed him to be king. This was God’s choice, not David’s. David had the assurance that he would be king as long as God willed it so his only prayer was “Thy will be done.” On the other hand, Absalom was a manipulator. He was using deception. He was using people to get what he wanted. He did experience a moment of glory but a moment was all God could spare.
David was a godly man in the sense that he was going in a godly direction. Absalom was a worldly man and he was going in a worldly direction. David knew that he was under the influence of God’s grace. This gave him calm assurance that everything would be alright. In the end, things would work out.
Third: David had A Solid Quiet Time
4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.
Remember, it was David who wrote Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God.” We live in a age of noise, business and everyone seems to be on a frantic pace. If seems like the world and the devil have conspired together to destroy peace and quiet. If we are not in the noise of a busy workplace, we are in the noise of traffic and then we come home and turn on the TV because the quiet unnerves us. We AMUSE ourselves to death so we will not have to MUSE. We cannot think deep thoughts about God in a den of racket and we refuse to get alone with God. David knew that when we get in a hurry, we respond rashly and make bad matters worse. Why don’t we pull away from the noise, be still and get along with God. It is okay to be angry at sin but we cannot give way to our anger. If our anger is out control, it will lead to more sin.
I read this past week the story of Potiphar and Joseph. Potiphar had the most valuable slave in Egypt: Joseph could do everything. Potiphar only concern was what he was having for dinner. Potiphar’s wife was a floozy and she lied to her husband about Joseph’s behavior. Potiphar went into a rage and did the most foolish thing he had ever done: threw Joseph into jail. He did not act rationally, he acted in anger and haste.
Fourth: Understand Everything Is Grace
Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord.
David lived under the old covenant: you could not approach without a priest and a sacrifice. No one was to enter God’s presence without a sacrifice. Man is a sinner deserving of death: the sacrificial animal dies in our place, we enter only with the blood of the innocent sacrifice. David’s appeal is not based on merit. He is coming to God via the sacrifice. We cannot approach a holy God in our sinful condition. God demands perfection. Jesus came and lived a perfect life in our behalf, now we enter God’s presence in Christ {covered by His blood}.
FIFTH: Trust God
Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord.
The song writer said it best, “take your burdens to the LORD and leave them there.” Cast all your care on Him because He cares for you. Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything. The bottom line is: You can’t fix it. David could not fix his problem and he was a king. I certainly don’t have the ability to fix my problems. In Luke 18 Jesus said, “There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything.” There are some things you cannot fix; all you can do is trust God to fix them.
Conclusion
What is the result of a calm assurance in God?
Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
Let your face smile on us, Lord.
7 You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
- God’s Favor [Grace]
- God’s Joy
- God’s Peace.
Sermons 