Trusting in God’s Deliverance
Psalms 4:1-8
Jim Davis
Too often spirituality is a self-designed program to be a better
person, to live a better life. We look within ourselves to make a
better world. Our lives become formed around a self-designed agenda
for improvement. It’s the kind of philosophy that makes us masters
of our own fate. We seek to do what is right because we understand
the natural order of things—one reaps what is sown. It is obvious
that we enhance our lives by making right choices. We do need a firm
grasp of the idea that there are consequences to our behavior.
Buddha postulated the concept of Karma. Making right choices creates
a force in and of itself, which Buddha called Karma. One seeks to be
liberated through a means of mental and moral self-purification. It
relies on self-enlightenment through self-discovery for the purpose
of reaching a higher level of existence. Supposedly good Karma
allows the soul’s migration to a higher level of existence. Webster
defines Karma: “the force generated by a person's actions held in
Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its
ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next
existence.”
It is this sort of philosophy that appeals to a self-improvement
mindset. It is a self-perpetuated life, which relies on the
strength of good or bad choices in and of themselves.
God blessed Solomon with special insight to understand the natural
order of life. Solomon writes, “The highway of the upright avoids
evil; he who guards his way guards his life” (Proverbs 16:17 NIV).
Much of what Solomon teaches comes from his observation of life. God
gave him special insight to gain wisdom. Yet, reading the book of
Ecclesiastes leads me to believe Solomon observes this as a natural
occurrence of one’s actions as he admittedly lives a life of vanity.
Yet, in his vanity he understands there is a natural order in life.
One reaps what is sown.
It is obvious choices do shape our lives. Eve’s decision in Eden is
indicative that there are serious consequences to our behavior. The
difficulty then, and now, is accepting God’s plan to salvage our
world, not merely through self-enlightenment and self-effort, but
through God’s direction and the powerful help God affords.
There is a growing hunger in our world for something that takes us
beyond ourselves—beyond the mere consequences of our choices. We are
like the Samaritan woman who goes to draw water daily from Jacob’s
well with her eye peeled for someone who could quench her thirst for
a better life. Jesus said to her, "Everyone
who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the
water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him
will become in him a spring of water welling p to eternal life"
(John 4:13-14). The world
seems to be looking for this water.
A God Designed Path
Throughout the psalms we see the futility of human effort as the
writers struggle with their limited ability to make life better.
Often, they are suffering at the hands of the wicked despite their
efforts to live righteous lives—in spite of their right choices. In
the midst of their struggles God is recognized and sought as the one
in control—the one powerful enough to make a real difference.
Psalms 63:6-11
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God's name will praise him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced. NIV
David writes, “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his
name's sake” (Psalms 23:3
NIV). He sees God as the one who is leading him in paths of
righteousness. David is not walking a self-designed path. He is
following God’s paths. God is leading him down the right paths as
the shadows of uncertainty engulf him. God is not turning David
loose in a dark world to find the right path for himself. It is
God’s path he is following. There is a difference. God not only
knows the right path; he is fully capable of clearing a path for us
no matter how dark and deadly the shadows.
There is much lamenting in the book of Psalms. We see those
struggling in the darkest of worlds striving to make right choices.
Yet, it is obvious they are looking beyond the mere power of choice
as they call upon God for relief. They are looking for God’s
sustaining power—his salvaging power. In Psalms 4 the psalmist cries
out for God to salvage his life.
Psalms 4
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. NIV
The psalmist cries, “Give me relief from my distress; be
merciful to me and hear my prayer.” In that it is a
cry for God’s merciful intervention, it goes beyond what he
deserves—it has to do with God doing the right thing as He
intervenes through His mercy. The psalmist is calling upon the God
who is the author of righteousness—who is the God of his
righteousness. He is not relying upon his personal righteousness—the
mere power of his right choices for his salvation. The psalmist is
not merely relying upon the power of his decisions. His cry is an
effort to see God as the force in his life. He is relying upon God
who is leading him in righteousness.
He cries “Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me
and hear my prayer.” He is not asking God to empower
him. He is asking for God’s personal intervention. He is looking for
God’s activity. Throughout the Old Testament it is amazing how God
is fighting the battles for the faithful. He is not necessarily
empowering individuals to accomplish the impossible, at times he
did, but the majority of the time God was fighting the battles. God
hung Mordecai on his own gallows. God prevented Balaam from cursing
Israel. God broke the walls of Jericho. God drowned the Egyptian
army in the Red Sea.
In all of salvation history God is the one salvaging lives.
It is no wonder that David said that God leads us down his
paths of righteousness for his own name sake. God desires to reveal
himself in a dark world as the one capable of leading us through the
valley of death. Is it any wonder that the psalmist is looking for
God’s activity in his circumstances? After all, if it is God
directing our steps, will he not ultimately be the one vindicated in
our walk with him? Will he not be glorified as we walk in his paths
of righteousness?
Psalms 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth." NIV
The psalmist can confidently say, I “Know that the LORD has
set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to
him.” He is anticipating God’s merciful intervention
as he trusts God’s righteousness. He encourages himself to rely on
God who he believes will hear and answer his prayer.
“Let him who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.” (Isaiah 50:10)
The psalmist writes, “In your anger do not sin; when you are
on your beds, search your hearts and be silent” (Psalms 4:4).
He is tempted to anger, but decides to be silent and trust in
God. He refuses to allow his enemies to take control of him through
his anger. In the silent stillness of the night the psalmist remains
calm. He searches his own heart for a correct response. He allows
his belief in God to control his emotions.
He tells himself to “Offer right sacrifices and trust in the
LORD.” The proper response to God’s mercy is to
continue offering right sacrifices. Yet, the psalmist’s
righteousness goes beyond offering another animal sacrifice or
contributing more money to the temple treasure. He is reaching
inside himself to make the right sacrifice in his own heart. He
refuses to respond to his enemies in the manner in which he is being
treated—what a sacrifice this is. He lifted up his heart to God.
What a sacrifice—a refusal to allow anger to take control.
Anger is a sure fire way of allowing self to become the object of
worship. Anger will only reduce us to the level of our enemies. A
parallel passage in the New Testament reveals the kind of sacrifices
made when we are engulfed in darkness.
Ephesians 4:25-32
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully
to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 "In your
anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still
angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been
stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful
with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those
in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but
only what is helpful for building others up according to their
needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve
the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling
and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in
Christ God forgave you. NIV
Contrasted here is the way we act when we seek to take control
of our circumstances and how we act when we are trusting God for
deliverance. It is a call to sacrifice our natural
instincts—our natural self—to the control of God. It surrenders our
lives to God’s control regardless the circumstances.
Romans 12:17-21
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is
right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it
depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge,
my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It
is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. NIV
The greatest choice we can make in life is to become partakers
of God’s divine nature. This is the choice of
salvation for salvation is about God asking us to become partakers
of his divine nature—to be become like him—to be recreated in his
image. It is all about participating in God’s divine nature as we
sacrifice our natural instincts to God’s control. Through
participation in God’s nature God’s power comes into play. He
empowers us to escape worldly corruption that rules through the ruin
of evil desires.
2 Peter 1:2-4
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of
God and of Jesus our Lord.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and
godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own
glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great
and precious promises, so that through them you may participate
in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused
by evil desires.
Participating in God’s nature is the only means of living a
productive life as a Christian. It is the greatest sacrifice
a person can make. It has the means of turning our world around as
we reign as kings and priests in the kingdom of God (Revelation
1:6).
2 Peter 1:5-11
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith
goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge,
self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to
perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and
to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities
in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and
unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But
if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has
forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your
calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will
never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal
kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. NIV
Peter describes the divine nature—“make every effort to add to
your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge,
self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to
perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and
to brotherly kindness, love.”
These are the sacrifices the psalmist makes as he encourages himself
not to respond in anger. Instead he trusts God’s deliverance to
salvage his life as he struggles to participate in God’s new
creation. In so doing, God fills his heart with joy.
Psalms 4:6-8
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. NIV
The psalmist experiences the joy of salvation as God fills his heart
with the anticipation of deliverance. It is God who is making it
possible for him to sleep in peace as he provides him a refuge of
safety.
Of course, in difficult times we go through extreme emotional
waves. One psalmist reveals how he questions God in the
darkness of the night. It is his doubts about God’s seemingly
untimely deliverance that rob his eyes of sleep.
Psalms 77:4-9
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired:
7 "Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?" NIV
Then in the sleeplessness of the night the psalmist reminds himself
of God’s unfailing love.
Psalms 77:10-20
10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High."
1 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.
13 Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 The waters saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
the skies resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron. NIV
Conclusion:
We have the freedom to call upon a righteous God for deliverance
because he extends his righteousness to us in mercy through the
sacrifice of Christ. We must remember that righteousness is a
quality for which we strive, but God imparts it to us. Jesus
presented righteousness as something to be sought after rather than
something to be attained. He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6
NIV). It is our job to hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness. It
is God’s job to lead us in paths of righteousness. It is God’s job
to fill us with his righteousness. It is God’s job to anoint our
lives with salvation.
Romans 8:31-35
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for
us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son , but
gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him,
graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against
those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he
that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was
raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding
for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? NIV
This is precisely the salvation Christians enjoy as we come to life
in Christ. When we come to life in Christ, God treats us as though
we have never sinned as he looks at our life through the sacrifice
of Christ. It gives us the freedom to call upon God’s righteous
intervention. It is not merely a call for God to empower us to
overcome, but a call to experience his supernatural deliverance as
he powerfully intervenes on our behalf.
