Psalms 4

¹ Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness…

² O you sons of men, how long will you turn my honor and glory into shame?…

³ But know that the Lord…  listens and heeds…

⁴ Be angry  and sin not…

⁵ Offer just and right sacrifices…

^{6 …} Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord.

⁷ You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart…

⁸ In peace I will…sleep…

On March the first I posted a blog about waiting on God.  I wrote about King David hiding in the wilderness from his son, who wanted to kill him and take over his kingdom.  David during his distress, did some practical things that helped him get through.  We can do the same when we find ourselves burdened with problems with no relief in sight.

The first practical thing David did was to realize he belonged to God.  We can find strength when we truly realize who we are in Christ.  I like what Joyce Meyer says on the subject: “Saturate your mind with the truth of God’s Word. It’s filled with reminders of His unconditional love for you. He says you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). He says that nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:35). Don’t let the enemy steal your identity. You are God’s masterpiece. Believe it!”

What else did David do while waiting on God?

1. Realized he belonged to God
2. David remembered past victories:  In the latter part of verse 1 David proclaims, “You [God] have freed me when I was hemmed in and enlarged me when I was in distress.”  Think about all the times God has come to your rescue.  Doing this brings hope that he will do it again.  God, over and over again encourages his children to “Remember…”  Why?  Because it strengthens our faith.
3. David knew God was listening:  David in verse 3 writes, “The Lord listens and heeds when I call to Him.”  In Hebrews 4:16 God invites you and I to come boldly before the Throne of Grace to receive mercy, grace and help.  If God bids us to ask, we can be sure He is listening.  God promises to hear us when we pray.  Psalms 55:17
4. David vents his anger:  Verse four says, “Be angry [or stand in awe] and sin not;”  It is okay to be angry!  Not only is it okay; it is healthy!  Keeping anger pent up inside causes stress which causes all manor of health problems.  God knows this, that is why He encourages us to let it out.  Not only should we let it out we should also let it go.  Ephesians 4:26  tells us to be angry but to not let the sun go down upon our wrath.  The key being, to let it out AND let it go.
5. David keeps doing what he knows to be right:  In verse 5, David says that he continues to “…offer just and right sacrifices.”  Sometimes when we face a crossroad we wonder,”…do I turn right or do I turn left?”  We honestly don’t know what God wants us to do and so we wait.  While we wait we should continue to do what he’s already told us to do.  We get up, we wash our face, we pray, we believe God, and we expect God to answer.
6. David asks God for guidance:  In verse 6 David asks God to  “…lift up the light…” When it is dark we need light to see the path before us.  Sometimes the light is bright but more often than not it’s  only a tiny flicker illuminating one step at a time.   Psalms 119:105
7. David takes pleasure in God’s goodness—In verse 7 David says, “…you have put…joy and rejoicing in my heart.”  Take notice of and enjoy the good things in your life.  We should make a conscious effort to look for the good.  It could be a warm cup of coffee, a budding flower, a gentle breeze, a smile, a hug, a kind word.. God purposely scatters these throughout the day to bring us moments of peace and joy.
8. David rests— The last verse of chapter 4  David says, “…in peace I will both lie down and sleep.”  God wants us to rest while we wait.  When we sleep our brain actually releases human growth hormone which flows throughout our bloodstream to repair and restore whatever is weak.  Taking time to rest helps us mentally and physically.

Recap:  Practical things to do while waiting on God:

• Know you are a child of God
• Remember what He has done in the past
• Know God is listening
• Let it out and let it go
• Continue to do right
• Ask for God’s guidance
• Take pleasure in the simple things
• Give yourself time to rest

My Prayer:  Lord, often you bid me wait and I don’t like waiting.  Thank you for the practical advice given us through David. Help me to remember I’m your child.  To remember all the times you’ve helped me in the past.  Lord, lift up your light and show me the way.  Fill my heart with joy and bring me to rest.  Amen.