The Story of Psalm 4, Part III

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: The Story of Psalm 4, Part III ------------------- Date: 7/16/2002
Keywords: "distress" "prayer" "problem" "struggle"
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Passage: Psalm 4* (Focus on verse 5)

1. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

2. Sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah.

3. But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.

4. Tremble, and do not sin; meditate in you heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

5. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the LORD.

6. Many are saying, "Who will show us any good?" Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD!

7. You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and new wine abound.

8. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.

Questions

1. According to verse 5, what pleases God?

 

2. How is doing good a sacrifice?

 

Practical help

This is the third in a six-part study on Psalm 4. We are thinking about the writer of the psalm as having come out of some stressful temptation, and he is asking God to help him continue to stand for what is good. In addition, he has not forgotten his brothers and sisters who are still in the grip of addictions. He feels their pull on him to slide back into the mud with them, and gives them a few words of counsel in verses 2-4. In verse 5, he then makes a very simple but profound statement, you don’t win favor with God by giving him your stuff, you win favor with God by living a godly life and recognizing that your secret for success is not what you accumulate or what you avoid, but in trusting God alone to meet your needs.

What should you trust God for in your life? How about trusting him to deliver you from temptations today? How about trusting that he will meet your sexual needs in appropriate ways and in his own timing? Don’t forget, it is not really trust, if you can’t wait until he gives it to you. It’s not how intense your desire is or how large a bribe you can deliver, that moves God to give you the desires of your heart. He is more interested in making you good than in giving you good things to play with. He is more interested in your character development than your contentment.

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."