Psalm 4- Rest in the Lord

 Psalm 4- Rest in the Lord

Psalms 4:1-8 (NET) 

1 When I call out, answer me, O God who vindicates me! Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. Have mercy on me and respond to my prayer! 2 You men, how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? How long will you love what is worthless and search for what is deceptive? (Selah) 

3 Realize that the LORD shows the godly special favor; the LORD responds when I cry out to him. 4 Tremble with fear and do not sin! Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! (Selah) 

5 Offer the prescribed sacrifices and trust in the LORD! 6 Many say, "Who can show us anything good?" Smile upon us, LORD! 7 You make me happier than those who have abundant grain and wine. 8 I will lie down and sleep peacefully, for you, LORD, make me safe and secure.

New Testament quotes

Verse 4 is quoted by the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians. We can see this most clearly in the NKJV which is a translation familiar to most of us.

Psalms 4:4 (NKJV)

4 Be angry, and do not sin.

Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.

Selah

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NKJV)

26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.

The NET Bible translates it a bit differently:

Psalms 4:4 (NET)

4 Tremble with fear and do not sin!

Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! (Selah)

The NET version brings out the earthy flavor of the Hebrew language. In effect, he is saying, “Even though you are so angry or fearful that you are trembling, chill out and get some sleep. The Lord has this!” The Hebrew language has a way of being very down to earth and descriptive of emotions. The Greeks would have described this more intellectually, but the Hebrews describe the contrast between the physical motions of trembling and being still. Sometimes it is just that simple. When things seem so completely out of control that you are physically shaking, find a quiet spot, calm down and take a nap! Let God be God and acknowledge that you are not in control of everything!

Rest in the Lord

This psalm ends with an admonition to trust in the Lord and rest in assurance of His care:

Psalm 4:5-8

5 Offer the prescribed sacrifices and trust in the LORD! 6 Many say, "Who can show us anything good?" Smile upon us, LORD! 7 You make me happier than those who have abundant grain and wine. 8 I will lie down and sleep peacefully, for you, LORD, make me safe and secure.

A more colloquial translation of verse 5 would be “Do what you have to do, but then then relax and trust in the Lord.” When you have done all that you know that you should do, the only thing left is to “lie down and sleep peacefully.” 

This reminds be of the story of Jesus and his disciples in a boat in the storm. (Mt 4:23-27) Some of the disciples were fishermen, so they knew what to do to control a boat, but this storm exceeded their ability to manage the boat. They had done all they knew to do, but instead of trusting in Jesus, they were panicking. Jesus, on the other hand, was asleep. When they woke him up, he rebuked them for their lack of faith.  Are you able to sleep through the storm? That seems to be a pretty simple measure of your faith; whether or not you can sleep through the storm like Jesus did.

I suppose I’m preaching to myself here because we had a severe storm last night here in 

Texas. It knocked out the power so we had no AC in near hundred degree heat and my CPAP machine wouldn’t work without power. Therefore, I didn’t get much sleep last night. Also my wife is having eye surgery today, so there is that concern also. Is it possible to rest in the Lord in this kind of storm? The scriptures say that it is, so pray for me to increase my faith so I can rest in full trust in Jesus!

The Psalm ends with the phrase, “for you, Lord, make me safe and secure.” We need to be ever mindful of this. The world is full of storms and trials. In fact, in the message at church last night, the pastor expressed it in this way: “If the battle is large, the blessing will be large!” So don’t be discouraged when you experience various trials, but be encouraged that the Lord is with you. He cares for you. And where He calls you, He provides the way. So have faith, trust in the Lord, and get some sleep!