Psalm 4

To the chief Musician upon a stringed instrument,

A Psalm of David.

H ear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: you gave me room when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and pursue lying? But know that the LORD has set apart him that is godly for

himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. There be many that 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 time that their corn and their wine increased.

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for you, LORD, only makes me dwell in safety.

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Here is a leader of a great country, blessed by God. A man whose greatest accomplishments are made out to be shameful by his enemies. Their aim was deception. They yapped at his heels like a pack of dogs. But he tells himself to stand in awe of God and sin not by becoming like the men who hated him.

This Psalm seems to come in hard times. There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” Nothing is going right. But the psalmist says that he has more gladness in heart than they do when everything is going great. The economy being agriculture, this has probably been a bad year.

What does it take to be happy when things are gong bad? Sometimes it takes a broader vision, a different perspective. There was a day when Elisha and his servant were in a city besieged by a huge army.

And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (2 Kings 6:15-17).

Sometimes we just can’t see. That doesn’t mean the chariots of fire aren’t there. So we make a conscious decision that we are going to trust God, no matter what is there. Like the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace who told the King, “Our God will deliver us from the furnace, O king. But even if not, we will still not bow down to your image.”

There is a reason why this Psalm seems so apt to our own age, our own leadership, our own people. The jealousy of power is a human constant, and it corrupts men in every age. Technology increases power, but it doesn’t change human nature a bit. That conscious decision to trust God come hell or high water is what we know as faith. It is not a feeling. It is a decision made in defiance of feeling.