Peace in Turbulent Times - Psalm 4

Scripture

• Psalms 4

About this sermon

Psalm 4 has been called an evening hymn (vs.8). It is often at the end of a day, as darkness settles in, that we experience the darkness of the heart. It is often in the night watches that the darkest possibilities occur to us, and our vulnerability is felt by us. And in many of those dark moments, what we are wrestling with is not fictitious, it’s real. The threat is real. And if we ask what we are to do in those dark moments of the soul, the answer is that we must meditate on God’s fatherly love for us and we must leave our fears and troubles in His hands. It is only in the place of sincere trust that we can be at peace and rest. The historical circumstances that gave rise this Psalm are unsure. Some have seen, in this Psalm, David’s flight from Saul. Others have seen David’s sorrowful troubles at the hands of Absalom. There are some internal indicators that would make me lean toward Absalom and a connection with Psalm 3. We can’t be certain, but it appears that Psalm 4 has a close connection with Psalm 3. The structure of the Psalms and the subject matter of Psalms are very similar. David is in distress, he is under attack, his heart is troubled, and yet He is witnessing God’s faithful hand of protection upon his life. Regardless of the exact historical context, this Psalm serves us well in times of trouble.

Topics

• Peace
• Bible Study