4:1 Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You
gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my
prayer.
4:2 How long, you people, shall my honor suffer
shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? Selah
4:3 But know that the LORD has set apart the faithful
for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
4:4 When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on
your beds, and be silent. Selah
4:5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the
LORD.
4:6 There are many who say, "O that we might see some
good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O LORD!"
4:7 You have put gladness in my heart more than when
their grain and wine abound.
4:8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you
alone, O LORD, make me lie down in safety.
I don't often preach from the Psalms, but for some reason Psalm 4
strikes me, especially verse eight. I hear many these days speaking
of restless sleep primarily due to waking up and obsessing about a
whole myriad of things at work, within their family, concerns for
the economy, some times out of guilt and shame. Lots of folks are
not sleeping in peace because there is so much they cannot control.
As a result, even what they are able to do is diminished. I'm
thinking about preaching on getting a good night's sleep....which
comes when one trusts God. Any thoughts? Larry V. Jefferson City,
Missouri
Larry V. Verse 8 appeals to me also - maybe because of my own
sleepless nights! The idea of the "God Can" came to me as I read
your post. It is a simple tin can with a removeable plastic lid ( a
coffee can) In it you put slips of paper on which you have written
some problem in your life or another's that you are struggling with.
You can continue to pray and work through this problem but you do
not worry obsessively about it because you have given it to God by
putting it in the God Can. And we trust that what we can not handle
- God can. It is uselful to look back over what one has put in the
God Can after several months and see how God has worked in your
life. A minister shared this idea at a clergy retreat and it is
amazing how the idea has caught on and spread. Blessings LGB
"You gave me room when I was in distress." I love this verse and
have quoted it frequently as a wonderful description of God's
working. God is one who gives us room, makes space for us at the
times when we are constricted, restricted. Distress (or negative
stress) provokes narrowing--a tightness in the chest, tensing our
muscles, clenching our teeth, a constriction in our throat, a
flooding of our psyche with fears, a cluttering our thinking with
free floating anxiety...It is in God's nature to open ("ephaphtha"/spelling??)and
(fear not); God make a spaciousness ("Perfect love casts out
fear."-God as perfect love casts out fear.) As in the phrase,
"Waiting to exhale"--we who are holding our breath can give way to
deep and steady breathing when we are gifted with spaciousness in
the times of distress.
A neighboring rabbi once told me that there is a name for God from
this verse; anyone know this detail? I have forgotten it. Aslanclan
I am also looking at verse 8 but plan to tie it to verse 2 which in
the NIV reads "how long will you love delusions and seek false
gods". I will start with the false gods that we entertain in our
society, especially those that give us a false sense of security,
and move on to God being the only one who can make us dwell securely
(sleep peacefully).
Melodious in KS
Since God "gave me some room" yesterday when I was feeling stressed
by personnal things and wondering where I was going to go with my
sermon this week. I think I will be preaching on the spaces God
gives us in our lives - the spaces where we can step back and feel
the Spirit's presence, the spaces where we can feel our shoulders
settling down from their usual position next to our ears! These
spaces may be quite unexpected and we may miss easily them as we
rush about as though all depends on us. I am also drawn to the
witnessing of Peter - Peter who had been a denying fearful disciple
becomes a bold witnessing disciple. I hope to make the connection
between experiencing God's spaces and witnessing to God's constant
presence and care. Hope I can faithfully make this connection. I am
just so grateful for the "room" to simply be. LGB
A late post on a borrowed computer - my router got lightninged - do
read Psalm4 in The Message, Eugene Peterson's translation. There's a
verse that says, "Look! Look who got picked by God!" that makes me
think of a golden retriever sitting in the front seat of the pickup
truck with his master.
This Psalm is sung by monks every night at compline.
kbc in sc
