I’ve fallen in love with Psalm 4.
Based on the language it’s a song for the end of the day. But not the end of an easy day. David walks us through lament and into praise, acknowledging hardship and yet recognizing God’s presence in the midst of it.
Let’s take a look at how God’s peace can be at the forefront of our hearts even as we struggle to reconcile that peace with our worldly interactions.
Psalm 4 (ESV)
(Read the full text here.)
Verse 1: “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!”
We need to take action and call on God, knowing He will hear my prayer. Remembering when God gave me relief in the past makes me trust Him in the present.
Verse 3: “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.”
In verse 1 David asks God to hear his prayer. He is confidently states that the Lord hears him. Again, we need to actively call out to God. Yes, God knows our thoughts, but there’s something about us intentionally bringing those thoughts to Him that changes our heart posture from one of survival to one of peace.
Verse 4: “Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.”
Ok, here we go, time for a moment of personal conviction. I get angry sometimes, and it usually leads to me ruminating on the situation. But lately (thankfully!) I’ve focused less on how to stick it to the person I’m angry with and focused more on my future relationship with that person. Do I really need to tell them what I think? Is addressing the situation really that important? Or, is it better to maintain a healthy relationship so I can have a reasonable discussion with this person if the situation arises in the future? (Yes, this is called growth, and yes, most of my anger is fueled by emails I get at work. I’m still a work in progress.) And we’re told not to sin when we’re angry. We’re not to retaliate or slander the other person. Again, what do we want our future relationships to look like?
We’re also told to “ponder in your own hearts on your beds.” I often tell my students to “stop and think”, and that’s exactly what comes to mind when I read this verse. Be silent. Check my own heart and my motives. Take time rather than reacting. Then I can have peace when my next steps aren’t ones I’ll regret later.
Verse 7: “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”
I love this. As someone who is working on restoring joy in my regular days, I love this reminder that joy comes from God, not from my circumstances. The grass might appear to be greener in the lives of those around me, but that’s a false sense of joy. True joy comes from the Holy Spirit living in me, in my heart, at my center. Therefore, I can have joy on hard days.
Verse 8: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
I keep a Bible by my bed and I read this verse when I’m having a hard time calming my mind to go to sleep. Because I can have peace knowing that God hears me, guides me, and gives me joy like only He can give. This peace means I can lie down and sleep, refueling and nourishing me, preparing me for His mercies that are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV).
And this peace doesn’t come in my strength, but in God’s. He alone makes me dwell in the safety He provides.
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