The Story of Psalm 4, Part V

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Title: The Story of Psalm 4, Part V ------------------- Date: 7/18/2002
Keywords: "distress" "prayer" "problem" "struggle"
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Passage: Psalm 4* (Focus on verse 7)

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. How is the writer’s heart (verse 7) different than those he describes in verse 6?

 

2. Why is his heart glad?

 

Practical help

I have some bad news and some good news for you.

First the bad news. Porn won’t make you happy.

Life wants to teach us a false view of happiness. We think that happiness is based on how we feel about our circumstances. If this was true then everyone who is rich should be happy and everyone who is poor should be miserable. Everyone who is sick should be despondent and everyone who is healthy should be having the times of their lives. Look around you. Is this true with the people you know? I know sad poor people and happy poor people. I know sad young people and happy young people. And the list goes on. So it must be that happiness isn’t really connected to circumstances.

Have you ever justified viewing pornography because you thought it will make you feel good? Did you, in your mind, equate this with happiness? Certainly, you got a rush of pleasurable feelings, but did they last? Later, when you thought about what you had been doing, did it make you feel happy? Or did you discover the emotional down-side to porn? The "happiness" of porn (if that’s what you call it) has a shorter life span than sub-atomic particles.

Let’s be honest. You use or have used porn to cover over something else — whether it is a deep hurt or a feeling of powerlessness. As long as you can distract yourself from what is really bothering you, you don’t have to face it. Unfortunately, the ache will resurface sooner or later. You need help. That’s a lot of bad news!

But the good news is you can be truly happy. Happiness is a real thing. But it doesn’t come to you because you pursue it by working hard, shooting up, or viewing porn. It comes as a gift. It is a by-product of the relationship you are invited to have with the one who created you in the first place. He knows how you tick and he knows what makes you happy. That’s what the writer of this psalm is declaring in verse 7, "You [God] have put gladness in my heart."

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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."