A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.
1 O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.”
Selah
3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
4 To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.
7 Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
8 From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
Selah
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.
1 Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Selah
3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD will hear when I call to him.
4 In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.
6 Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.
7 You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.
8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
My Understanding: This is a prayer of David for physical deliverance from his physical foes. I believe it is to be applied to our lives today in the spiritual realm, rather than the physical realm, though God may also bring physical deliverance from actual physical enemies, too. The Bible teaches us, though, that our real enemy is Satan, not man (see Ephesians 6:10-20), and that the true battle is won on a spiritual level, not on a natural level. And, the way God delivers us from our true enemy, Satan, is through his strength and mighty power at work within us in battle, and through the use of the spiritual weapons of warfare which he provided for us in order for us to fight off all evil attacks of Satan:
• The belt of truth buckled around your waist (arming ourselves with the truth)
• The breastplate of righteousness in place (being in a right relationship with God)
• Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace
• The shield of faith, with which to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one
• The helmet of salvation (to protect our minds from Satan’s accusations)
• The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (fight lies with truth of word)
• Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests
• Be alert (watchful; discerning), and always keep on praying for all the saints
We are to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power at work within us, and we are to daily put on his full armor so that when the day of evil comes, we may be able to stand our ground in the face of great opposition of enemy forces. The real battle against Satan is won or lost in our minds and hearts. So, going back to Psalm 3, we must understand that our true deliverer is God, not man and not human resources (the weapons of this world). God is our true shield of protection against the evil one, through our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord (master) and Savior of our lives. Involved in this faith is repentance (turning from sin) and obedience to Christ and his commands, and God, as well, gives us this kind of faith and repentance and ability to obey, as we willingly cooperate with his work of grace in our lives.
When we are in a right relationship with Jesus Christ through this kind of faith, and when we are daily putting on his full armor, with which to fight against the forces of evil coming against us, then we can lie down and sleep in peace, knowing that God is sustaining us. We have no reason to fear even tens of thousands rising up against us, because we can rest in knowing that God is in control, and that he will deliver us spiritually, and perhaps physically, as well, so that we don’t fear man, or cave to the fear of man, thinking we have to resolve our own problems and difficulties.
If we are repentant, honest, and in a right relationship with God through true faith in Jesus Christ, then we can be at peace, even if all hell is breaking loose all around us, because we are confident in the Lord and in our relationship with him, that he will deliver us from the enemy’s attacks against us. Yet, again, the real deliverance takes place in our minds and hearts as we rest securely in our Lord Jesus. And, this is where true freedom takes place, as well. We can be in a physical prison, and be free spiritually, or we can be free physically, and still be in prison in our minds and hearts. True freedom is thus spiritual, not physical.
So, when David prayed, as recorded in Psalm 4, for God to answer him when he called, and for God to give him relief from his distress, and to be merciful to him, it was understood that David was in a right relationship with God, because of his next statements where he asked the questions of men, “How long will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?” David was confident of his right relationship with God, which is why he could also pray with confidence for God to deliver him. Yet, his enemies were obviously attacking his relationship (his glory) with God, mocking him, and doubtful of God’s deliverance. That is because they were placing their confidence in other gods that were not God, i.e. they were placing their trust in the gods of men.
Then, David spoke again with confidence and assurance in his God, and in his deliverance, when he stated that he knew God has set apart the godly for himself, and that the Lord would hear the godly when they call to God. The “godly” is often a reference to those who are devoted to God/Jesus Christ, obedient to him, and faithful in their commitment to him; those who are in a right relationship with Jesus Christ; holy; and steadfast, i.e. unwavering, unfaltering, resolute and firm in their commitment to follow the Lord Jesus in obedience.
David then called upon his listeners (or readers) to not sin in their anger, and that when they are on their beds to search their hearts and be silent before God. When we are being oppressed by the enemy, who uses human instruments, too, our human nature may want to flare up, and we may want to do something out of anger, so this is an encouragement to us to not let our emotions get the best of us, and to not respond to our emotions by doing what our flesh may desire, and for us to search our own hearts and to make sure we are in a right relationship with God through confession and repentance and faith. I believe this is very sound and wise advice for us who are going through times of great distress.
David then coupled that advice with the counsel for us to offer right sacrifices to the Lord, and to place our trust in the Lord to work in our circumstances. When I think of “right sacrifices,” the main passage of scripture that always comes to my mind is Rom. 12:1-2:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Trusting in the Lord means that we take all our troubles, heartaches and difficult circumstances to the Lord in prayer, in confession, in humility, and we seek him with all of our hearts for his wisdom, guidance and direction instead of allowing fear or worry to overcome us, and instead of us reacting in fear and feeling as though we must resolve our troubles ourselves with our own human resources. This kind of trust recognizes the sovereignty (rule) of God over our lives, and that nothing can happen to us, but what God has allowed it, and he has allowed it for a purpose in our lives, and for his glory. So, I believe the Lord is encouraging my heart today, and I hope yours, as well, for us to follow this wise counsel of David, and to put our unfailing trust in the Lord for him to deliver us out of all our troubles as we daily put on his full armor in our lives and we rely upon his strength and power within us to work out our situations for his purposes and for his glory.
Lord, Move Me / An Original Work / October 16, 2011
Be my desire, my heart set on fire,
Lord, move me to worship You only, I pray.
Fill with Your Spirit, my heart overflow.
Lord, may I long for You; Your word to know.
Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in Your power,
And may I serve You, Lord, right now in this hour.
Lord, how I want to obey You forever.
Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will not stray.
Teach me to love You; adore You always.
Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace today.
Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.
Forgive me for all things, as I humbly pray.
Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and guide me,
So I follow You, Lord, where’er You lead now.
I love to hear You speak Your words to me.
I am so grateful that You set me free.
Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me like You, Lord,
And I will live with You for eternity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K-0kezkuEg
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