Psalm 4

We all need to trust God more. This psalm provides a template for showing our trust in Him.

1. From The MacArthur Study Bible, “There are certain similarities between [Psalms] 3 and 4. For example, the former is sometimes labeled a morning psalm (cf. 3:5), while the later has been called an evening psalm (cf. 4:8). In both, David is besieged with suffering, injustice, and oppression. Additionally, Ps 4 also exhibits the changing attitudes of the worshipper in his most difficult circumstances. David’s movement will be from anxiety to assurance, as he travels down the road of prayer and trust in God. At the end of yet another day of pressure, pain, and persecution, David engages in 3 conversations which ultimately lead to a point of blessed relaxation: I. Praying to God for Preservation (4:1); II. Reasoning with His enemies about Repentance (4:2-5); III. Praising God for True Perspective.” (pages 733-4)

2. While not necessarily important, it is interesting that this is the first of 55 psalms which feature a superscription giving instructions to a musical leader.

3. The very beginning of the psalm is a plea, teaching us that it is not wrong to ask for God to hear our prayers, and to seek an answer.

4. Verse 1 can also be translated, “You have made room for me in my distress.” What a comforting thought, that our God, while controlling the universe, can make room for us in times of need!!!

5. Verse 4: God’s greatness should cause us to be still and meditate.

6. The phrase “sacrifices of righteousness” in verse 5 seems to be an Old Testament statement that has a New Testament equivalent (“living sacrifice,” Romans 12:1-2).

7. Verse 7: God’s gifts give us the greatest joy; even more than food and drink. Those things sustain our physical bodies, but God’s gifts keep us in the most important ways.

8. Verse 8: Only God gives true peace. In verse 5, David had said that he trusts in God, now he is totally at peace because of God. Do I progress that same way?