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HEAVENLY
SLEEP
Psalm 4:1-8
I. Insomnia.
A. Do you ever
have trouble falling asleep?
1)
Millions are spent on sleeping aids.
a)
Billy Graham has suffered from insomnia for decades.
2) I had
a bout of it on Friday.
Went to bed late, as usual.
(A lot on my mind)
Woke up at 3:30
thinking mice were gnawing on my
pillow - I hate it when that happens.
Then at 5:30 a.m.
the doorbell rang.
At least I think it did.
I
stumbled to find my clothes, ran to the front of the house,
No one at front or back.
Looked down street - figures were moving.
I didn't have my glasses on, couldn't be sure.
B. Our
stress and struggles overflow at night.
1)
Unresolved tensions in life, relationships.
2)
Spiritual struggles.
C. In a
troubled world, how can we find peaceful sleep?
In
Psalm 4, David unlocks for us the secret of his peace.
He is able to lie down in safety,
in
the absolute assurance of peace and quiet,
not because he has taken pills,
or because he is free from worry and care,
but
because he knows how to deal with everything and everyone
in
life that would rob him of peace.
II. David's
distress.
4:1
A. At night,
David is tempted to brood on past wrongs.
1)
Background could be revolt by son Absalom. (Psalm 3)
2) Word
"distress" suggests being in a tight corner.
B. This
challenges David to affirm his faith.
1)
"My righteous God" - appeals to God's character.
a)
God will always do right.
2) Also,
in psalm David decides to urge this faith on others.
C. David
faced three groups of opponents.
III. David's answer to the fickle. 4:2-3
A. David's
authority is challenged.
1) David
appeals to their goodwill and good sense. (?)
2) They
show their contempt through slander and false promises.
a)
"False gods" is literally "lies."
b) Alternate interpretation: God is
speaking through
David, and rebuking their idolatry.
B.
Ultimately his vindication will come from God, not people. 4:3
1) God's
choice of a person is the ultimate answer to
wounds and discouragements.
2) Does
your relationship with God have more power over you
than the "slings and arrows" of jerks?
IV. David's
answer to hot-heads. 4:4-5
A. Impulsive
opponents.
1) If
some loyalties are too wavering, others are too fierce.
a)
Biblical example of impulsiveness: James 1:19-20
2) Both
can be equally damaging.
B. Anger and
sin.
1)
Unusual phrase.
a) Not "in your anger"
but a command, "BE ANGRY."
1> (One of the easier Bible commands!)
b)
The root of anger in Hebrew is "tremble" and some think
it means "tremble before God and don't sin."
1> But the LXX and
Ephesians support meaning of anger.
2> How we deal with it is critical.
2)
Background to Ephesians 4:26.
a)
Anger is a natural thing, comes to everyone.
b)
How we handle it makes a huge difference.
1> Prisons are filled with people who let it devour them.
3) Sleep
on it before you act?
a)
Paul goes farther - settle it before morning.
Don Nut of Lamesa,
Texas, has been married to
his wife
fifty years.
He says that the secret is that they never went to bed
without settling any differences between them.
But Don concedes there have been times when he went
ten days without sleep.
b)
David is not saying "get them in the morning."
1> Verse 5 looks humbly to God as our vindicator.
A> Let God deal with them.
2> Offer right sacrifices. 4:5
A> Cain's problem was in his heart, not his offering.
Hebrews 11:4; Gen 4:2-7
B> Good sacrifices must come from a good heart.
C. Nighttime
is a good opportunity to take assessment. 4:4
1) Most
people focus on God then.
a)
(at least, before they fall asleep!)
2) Silent
- listen for God's perspective.
V. David's
answer to defeatists. 4:6-7
A. He is
surrounded by pessimists.
1)
"Who can show us any good?" 4:6
2) Only
bad stuff will happen to us.
B. Verse 6b
is a prayer.
1) His
friends long for better times.
2) David
longs and prays for God.
C. Inward
and outward joy. 4:7
1)
Outward comes from pleasant set of circumstances.
a)
Prosperity makes people feel good.
b)
Or it is supposed to - why do so many feel lousy?
2)
Inward comes from God, through every discouragement.
VI. Well-founded
peace. 4:8
A. "In
safety" is closer to "unafraid." cf. Proverbs 1:33
B. David has
this confidence because of the character of his God.
1) God
relieves distress.
2) Sets
apart the godly.
3) Hears
prayer.
4) Is
trustworthy.
5) He
gives gladness (7), peace (8) and safety (8).
C. How
contented is your life?
Bishop
Robert Goodrich tells a story of a woman who lived
during
the Great Depression.
It was a
horrible time.
27%
were unemployed, and there was little welfare.
This
woman had reached the end of her physical and emotional
rope.
Her
husband's salary was very small and never enough, and
he was
often sick.
The bank
foreclosed on their mortgage, and was preparing
to
take their home.
They had
a huge bill at the grocery store and their five
children were hungry, and needed clothing.
She took
in other people's washing and ironing to earn more,
but
they just seemed to be sinking deeper and deeper in debt.
All
seemed lost and she couldn't see any hope for the future.
One
morning after the four older children headed off for school,
she
took her youngest daughter into the bedroom.
The woman
then plugged the windows with paper and rags, turned
on the
gas heater but didn't light it, and the two of them
lay
down on the bed.
The little girl said, "Mom, why
are we laying down? We only
got up
a little while ago."
"Never mind", the mother answered, "We'll take a
little nap."
Then she
closed her eyes and waited for death to come.
She
could hear the hiss of gas coming from the heater.
As she
listened in the almost complete silence, she realized
that
she heard something else.
It was
music, coming from the kitchen.
She
had forgotten to turn off the radio in the kitchen.
And as
she listened, she heard someone on the radio singing
an old
hymn.
"Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
oh, what needless pain we bear;
All because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer."
And in
the depth of her mind and heart she suddenly knew she'd
made a
terrible mistake.
She had
tried to fight all her battles alone.
She had
forgotten to use the resources of her faith.
She
struggled to her feet, turned off the gas, opened the
windows and doors, and began the process of changing her life.
It was
not easy, of course, but she discovered that the strength
of her
faith was equal to anything and everything she was
tempted to worry about.
She put
all her children through school, and years later,
looking back, was able to write:
"The
blackest moments we live through can only last a little
time,
and then comes the future."
D. Commit
your troubles to a caring God.
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