Sermon Central
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Rejoicing In God's Protection And Peace Series
Contributed by David Jenkins on Aug 19, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: Rejoicing in God’s protection and peace
Rejoicing in God’s protection and peace
Psalm 4:1-2, “1
Answer me when I call,
O God who declares me innocent.
Take away my distress.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2
How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make these groundless accusations?”
8
The LORD protects his people
and gives victory to his anointed king.
6
I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray.
6
But in my distress I cried out to the LORD;
yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry reached his ears.
Psalm 18:18-19, “18
They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest,
but the LORD upheld me.
19
He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
16
Turn to me and have mercy on me,
for I am alone and in deep distress.
6
I hate those who worship worthless idols.
I trust in the LORD.
18
May their lying lips be silenced--
those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.
8
Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me;
they treat me like a stranger.
9
Passion for your house burns within me,
so those who insult you are also insulting me.
10
When I weep and fast before the LORD,
they scoff at me.
19
You know the insults I endure--
the humiliation and disgrace.
You have seen all my enemies
and know what they have said.
20
Their insults have broken my heart,
and I am in despair.
If only one person would show some pity;
if only one would turn and comfort me.
Psalm 4 is a Psalm of rejoicing in God’s protection and peace. We can place our confidence in God because He will listen when we call upon Him. This psalm may have been written as David was asking his enemies to reconsider their support of Absalom. Others see this psalm as a prayer for relief from a calamity such as a drought (4:7). It was probably written shortly after Psalm 3.
We can trust and rejoice in God’s protection and peace through Yeshua (Christ) because He is our rock and our fortress an ever present reality when our lives seem to be shattered and torn asunder. When we feel like everyone in our lives is falling apart instead of turning to our friends, let us turn to the Lord for strength and courage. When we feel most alone, let us turn to the Lord, for He will give us the what our heart most longs for, comfort, and joy.
When we feel like the kitchen sink is being thrown at our door and every thing we do is wrong, the Lord is still our God, and unto Him do we live for, not for man, but for God as we present our lives to the Messiah, trusting only in God’s protection and peace in the midst of the storms and affairs of life. Let us walk and rejoice in God’s protection and peace through Christ. While people may say all sorts of nasty things about us, what matters most is to remind ourselves that it is not what they think that matters the most anyway, only what God thinks.
Psalm 4:3-4, “3
You can be sure of this:
The LORD has set apart the godly for himself.
The LORD will answer when I call to him.
4
Don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you.”
Interlude
Think about it overnight and remain silent.
6
I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray.
5
"Bring my faithful people to me--
those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices."
4
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel for his own special treasure.
8
Let everyone in the world fear the LORD,
and let everyone stand in awe of him.
6
when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
I search my soul and think about the difference now.
26And "don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you."[1] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,
The godly are those who are faithful and devoted to God. David knew that God would hear him when he called and would answer him. We, too can be confident that God listens to our prayers and answers when we call on him. Sometimes we think that God will not hear us because we have fall short of his high standards for holy living. But if we have trusted Christ for salvation, God has forgiven us, and he will listen to us. When you feel as though your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, remember that as a believer you have been set apart by God and that he loves you. He hears and answers, although his answers may not be what you expect. Look at your problems in the light of God’s power instead of looking at God in the shadow of your problems.
