February 20, 2021 -- Psalm 4:1 -- Answer Me, God, When I Call
/To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
4 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
Psalm 4:1 English Standard Version
Dear people of God our Righteousness—didn’t you just read Psalm 3 and hear the psalmist cry out to God in turmoil because he was surrounded by many enemies? Yes you did, and now Psalm 4 has the psalmist crying out to God again asking for relief. Life for Christians is not an unbroken series of trouble-free and bliss-full steps tiptoeing lightly through flowers fields and tulips until one finally achieves eternity. Not at all! Life as a Christian is hard-slogging and difficult because the one who seeks to serve God is at odds with everyone else on the planet.
Fellow Christians find in one another a refuge-place of joy and peace because only fellow Christians know the anguish of living among a planet of full of people who hate God—the very Father Who gave ungrateful people life, breath, intelligence, the splendour of creation to declare His glories every single day and the Word which reveals Him so the heart delights and the soul swells with anticipation of eternity in uninterrupted worship and adoration of His magnificence. Fellow Christians point each other to the throne room where God the gracious brings relief and life. Fellow Christians remind the wounded, weary brother or sister that sins do not have ultimate victory, instead, Jesus Christ has removed God’s wrath from them and given His extravagant forgiveness and peace.
Fellow Christians sing—note this Psalm is for the choir-master and meant to be sung. Why? Music is like a brain worm. It wriggles in and out of the grey matter so that all the day long hearts are filled with a song that describes the difficulties of life but more importantly, shouts the mighty Glory of God the Gracious Who is bringing His relief. Tomorrow is Sunday. Plan on getting to a place of worship. Petition the government, church is essential.
Thank You, God of Salvation, that Your Word accurately reflects the things your people encounter and Your Word leads in the way of salvation, life and victory. Thank You for the fact that Your people, who cry out in distress and weep in frustrated confession while in sitting the ashes of old familiar places where their sins are overwhelming them—these same Christians find Your forgiveness and restoration over and over again until the day when sin shall be no more and the victory of Jesus will become sight. Spirit of God, sustain us this day in God, the God of my righteousness Who has been perfectly revealed, finally revealed, in Jesus Christ. Amen.
https://youtu.be/vFVFV4jfHSc
