Calm in the Crisis When Vance Havner’s wife went to be with the Lord, he was alone in this world. Missing her so greatly, he wrote of his deep loss in the book, Though I Walk Through the Valley.” Here is one excerpt that can encourage someone who has lost a beloved spouse, child, parent, or friend: “On my lonely walk this morning I realized afresh that God has shut me up to Himself and Himself alone. There is no one else to whom I can turn. There are friends and relatives but the other half of my life is gone. God is my portion and my reward. I know not what to do but my eyes are upon Him. If I go around looking for some broken reed, some arm of the flesh on which to lean, then I have no learned my lesson and God must deal further with me. When we reach utter desperation and are satisfied with god alone, then He may step in with help we never dreamed of and never could have found. I trust in God because I love Him for Himself.” Have you lost a loved one? A spouse or child? A parent or dear friend? David gives us the response of a child of God in a time of great crisis. He looks like a loser. He has lost his job as king. He has lost respect, his home, and his nation. He is a homeless vagabond, a fugitive of his own nation. How will he respond? When you have lost something dear and near to you, how to you respond? Has something awful happened to you and you honestly wonder, “What good can possibly come out of this?” This Psalm was probably written at the same time as Psalm 3. Similar language is used in both Psalms and he deals with the rebellion and bitterness of his son Absalom. Whereas Psalm 3 is the morning hymn, Psalm 4 is the evening hymn. This is the first Psalm that has the inscription, “The to the chief musician on Neginoth.” The chief musician is included in the titles of 53 Psalms. He is the worship leader and the guardian of the psalms in the temple. Neginoth means one “accompanied by stringed instruments” (Psalm 4, 6, 55, and 61). Never lose sight of Jesus in the Psalms, for in every crisis, Jesus Himself is our song. In this Psalm, Jesus is our righteousness and the One upon whom we call. While those of this world seek after lies, we see after our Lord Jesus, who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins! Jesus puts gladness in our hearts and helps us to have peace in times of crisis. David, the man after God’s heart teaches us how to deal with great distress, and turns his sorrows into a song of praise to God. He refuses to allow circumstances to control him. Curses and dust and stones fly around his head, but His God still grants peace to his heart.
What a prayer David offers. He is desperate but also dependent upon the “God of his righteousness.” God has helped him through so many trials when he fled from Saul. Did God assist him through all those difficulties to forsake him now? David knows that his only hope in coming to God was to be righteous. He knows that he is not righteous, so he claims God’s righteousness! The imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ to our souls is the foundation of our prayers. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness! The phrase “God of my righteousness” is used only here in Scripture. This phrase is a gem, a rare diamond. God of my righteousness! He is the
In the Psalms, God is also recognized as
“Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.” Distress speaks of being in a tight spot. He was backed into a corner. But god broke down the rocks and moved away the enemy and gave him room to breathe.
David gets off his knees and moves out of his closet onto the battlefield and into the field of conflict. He speaks to those who are cohorts and partnered with Absalom in his insurrection. They had been deceived and seduced by an ambitious man.
They love vanity and seek after leasing: They crave with crazed obsession and lying illusions. They think for example that nightclubs, dancing, drinking and partying will satisfy their soul desires. They think, “If I just can get a man, or obtain a girlfriend, then I will be at peace.” Many people are led astray by vain desires and ambitious men, lusting after lies. Such was the case with those who followed Absalom in their rebellion. A nation followed Hitler. Souls followed Jim Jones to Guyana. It is easy to lust after lies and become obsessed by illusions of fame or greatness. They love vanity and seek after leasing. “MY glory” for David was the LORD’s abundance and heaviness. They were turning the power and might of God into shame. The enemy nations would see what was happening in Israel and see an opportunity to attack this tiny nation. Selah, a divine pause. Stop and think. Meditate upon your life. Have you turned glory into shame and do you love lying and are you living a life of being deceived and deceiving others? In verse three David continues speaking to those who are led astray with Absalom. David knew that he was set apart and chosen by God to be the King. Absalom was not. David knew that the Lord would hear him the moment he called. Absalom did not have this privilege. David knew that Absalom was not merely fighting against David, but against God because God had set apart David to be the king. All those who joined with him were also fighting against God’s will.
Tremble and quake! The fear of the LORD gives great confidence. Sin not! Paul quotes this in Ephesians 4:26 when he says, Be angry, sin not.” Most people reverse the order of these commands. They fearlessly sin and do not tremble before God! That is a dangerous moment in your life.
Instead of tossing and turning in bed because of all the things that are happening in your life, complaining and getting angry at what everyone is doing around you, search your own heart. Be still in your soul. This would spare many marriages from divorce. It would keep you from many restless nights and keep you calm in crisis.
Offer the sacrifice of praise to God in the midst of crisis. In David’s time of crisis, he had lost his job, he lost his power and his throne. David was not obsessed with grabbing it all back at once. He was at peace. He rested in the Lord. Rather than look for ways to snatch back what was rightfully his, he looked for a way to give a sacrifice of righteousness. To give at a time when you have lost is the result of really trusting in the LORD. What have you lost?
David’s heart is full of praise. He knew God’s help was real and not imaginary. Some of his followers were losing heart. To David, God’s blessing was like a king’s robe, and although man could steal his power, no one could steal God’s peace and presence from his heart. There was discouragement in their ranks. Who can show us any good, or “What good can possibly come out of this? How can God get us out of this tight space? We are so squeezed, my spirit feels so squashed, how can I get out of this? This discouraging statement was repeated over and over again by the complainers, and the more they complained, the worse things looked. Is your life full of complaining that nothing good is happening to you or for you?
This was David’s confidence! Lift up your smile upon me, O LORD, and all is well.
No doubt weddings and good harvests are times of joy. When things go well in our circumstances, we can derive some joy from it. But the foundation of our joy is God Himself. While the world draws joy from material things, whether corn and wine or parties and fine dining and shopping sprees at the mall or keeping up with fashion, your smile and presence is my more than enough satisfaction that makes me glad “IN MY HEART.” Yes, there is Gladness in my heart, more than in the time when everything was perfect for me financially, and materially! C. The PEACE of God’s Presence, v.8 God, you are the One who gives me assurance and security! Remain calm in crisis as you cry to God your righteousness, confront your enemy, and confidently look to God for His light, joy, and peace! |