David could sleep in peace

 

Our Father God is full of grace and abundant in mercy, but one of the biggest obstacles to answered prayers in on our side: it's our godliness (or lack of it). Sin causes anguish. If David had kept sin in his heart and prayed for God to remove his distress, it could not have happened without repentance, first. David's heart is clean at the time he wrote these words. The last few verses of Psalm 4 contrast his feelings of peace, joy, and security with the feelings of the wicked - they find no relief for their stress. 

Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
    Let the light of your face shine on us.
 Fill my heart with joy
    when their grain and new wine abound.

 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, Lord,
    make me dwell in safety. (v. 6-8, NIV)

In the light of God's face, David finds peace. He's probably remembering this passage about the priestly blessing Aaron and his sons were to use:

“‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’ (Numbers 6:24-26)

David recalls the blessings of God and is content. He wrote later in what we know as the thirty-first psalm, "how abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you .....on those who take refuge in you." (Psalm 31:19)  He knows that just like those blessings from the past, that he can turn over and over in his mind and praise God for, there are blessings coming in the future. Not the least of which is God's peace and security. In God's safety David can sleep in peace. He turned his eyes to God and found comfort in His presence.

I hope that we will be like David in distress. That we will have confidence that God's authority is over everything. That we will focus on God, not brood about ourselves. That we will not have a pity party, but pray for more of God's presence. I pray that we will be like David and KNOW that our prayers are heard, and know that God will be victorious. That we will have grace under fire to pray for those who oppose us. 

Sometimes our prayers are answered in ways that we can't really fathom at the time. David's prayers were going to be answered, and his throne restored. There was more work for God's man to do. But the way in which he was restored to the kingdom was not of his choosing. A great battle was fought in the forests of Ephraim, and the rebel army was totally routed -- in fact, 20,000 were killed, and in addition, many were entangled in the deep forest and perished. Among these, we find Absalom himself . . . . 

Riding on his mule, Absalom's head (or hair, depending on which scholar you read) was caught in the boughs of a huge oak, perhaps in a forked branch. II Samuel tells us that he was taken up between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him ran away. Despite being ordered by David to "treat Absalom gently" if he were found, Joab (David's general of the armies) thrusts three spears into him. To make his death certain, others gather around and finish him off. His body is buried in a pit nearby, and a huge pile of stones is heaped on top. What a sad ending for a rebellious son. And not the answer that David wanted. But he is a man after God's own heart, and he comes through it. 

Are we in distress?

Are we praying?

Are we experiencing God's peace?

We may sound like the prophet Habakkuk sometimes . . . "how long, O Lord?" Just as God promised Habakkuk that He was working and the answer would come, His promise to us is that He hears. He is working on it. It's up to us to say:

I will stand at my watch
    and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me, (Habakkuk 2:1a)

A devotional that I read recently reminded me that it's important to pray and wait. And to wait and pray. Does that make sense? It did to me! Prayer is part of our relationship with God. It's how we become more like Him. It's how He works to accomplish His purposes in us. And it's how we can experience His peace, and sleep soundly in the midst of this troubled life!

Sleep well, my friends!