12/18/2011 8:55:37 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm 4
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 4
Message of the verse: “1 ¶ For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.» Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. 2 O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah. 3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself; The LORD hears when I call to Him. 4 Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD.
“ 6 ¶ Many are saying, "Who will show us any good?" Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD! 7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. 8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.”
In the background of this and I would suppose Dr. Wiersbe gives some information that will help understand things about this psalm and even other psalms. We see “«To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.»” In the KJV and he explains this by saying that there are fifty-three Psalms that speak of this man who is the chief Musician. He is the person who is the “minister of worship” and custodian of the sacred psalms at the tabernacle and then at the temple of the Lord. “The Hebrew word Neginoth means ‘accompanied by stringed instruments and refers to the harp and lyre (1Chronicles 23:5; 25:1, 3, 6).
Dr. Wiersbe believes that this Psalm was written about the same situation that Psalm 3 was written about, and that is when Absalom was trying to take over the kingdom. He writes “It’s a wonderful thing that David could turn this distressing experience into song, to the glory of God. His example shows us what our responses ought to be in times of crisis.”
We mentioned in yesterday’s SD of the importance of coming to the Lord in the morning in order to begin your day with the Lord, and that Psalm 3 was a “morning Psalm.” Psalm 4, according to Dr. Wiersbe is an evening Psalm and we can see here the importance of ending your day with the Lord too. But this Psalm along with Psalm 3 were distress Psalms and this shows us the importance of coming to the Lord in times of trouble whether morning or evening, night or day.
We will now look at the first section of this Psalm: “Look to the Lord (v-1). We see in verse one that David calls upon the Lord to answer him when he calls, and then he calls God the “God of my Righteousness.” David knew that his own righteousness was not good enough for as he writes in Psalm 51 he was conceived in sin. That does not mean that it was a sinful relationship, but the like all people he was born a sinner and so he realizes that if he was to be righteous that God would have to give him His righteousness. God did do that for David and for everyone who will call upon the Lord in order to receive that righteousness that they do not deserve or can ever earn.
David goes on to remind the Lord that He had relieved him in earlier times of distress and so he desires that the Lord will do the same now. David then ends this first verse by asking God to be gracious to him. You don’t find that word gracious or grace in the OT too many times. God’s grace is giving a person what they do not deserve, and God’s mercy is not giving a person what they do deserve. As believers in Christ we have received both grace and mercy, for God has given us His great salvation, but at the cost of the death of His only son who took what we did deserve while suffering on the cross, and that is mercy.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It was the sin with Bathsheba that has gotten David in the trouble that he is in, and even though he has been forgiven by God there were still consequences for that sin, and yet we see David confidently calling on the Lord for help in his time of need. This is inspiring to me for I realize that God forgives me all of my sins, but sometimes there are consequences that go along with them and it is then that I do not feel in my heart that God will answer my prayers and deliver me, and yet I know that He will for He has done it for David.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Cry out to the Lord when I am in need of His help, knowing that I don’t deserve His help, but that it is through His mercy that I can confidently call out to Him.
2. Trust the Lord to do the best for me in all situations for His glory and for my good.
3. Continue to learn to be content.
12/18/2011 9:33:48 AM
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