Psalm 4:2 KJV O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
David is once again harassed by his enemies. They lie about him and go after things that are worthless. We ourself went after worthless things because we lived life based on ourself. But then we were changed forever.
Isaiah 43:1 KJV But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
We were redeemed and God became the focal point of our life.
In Psalm 4 we will look at 3 things,
- God sets apart those who are His own
- The joy of the Lord outshines all that is earthly
- Our peace and safety is in the Lord
God Sets Apart Those Who are His Own
Psalm 4:3 KJV But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.
We have been set apart for God. Isaiah 43:1 says we are created and formed by God. He called us by name when He redeemed us. We are His so do not be afraid. We do not find Jesus God calls us to His Son and Jesus takes us to the Father by way of His cross through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 1:4-5, Romans 8:28-29 tell us we were chosen before anything was created, that is, “before the foundation of the world.”
- What was God’s criteria for choosing us, His love.
- How did He chose us, in Christ.
- Why or what is His purpose for setting us apart? God sets us apart to be holy.
We are His own and as His own we are to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:12). Before Jesus called our name we knew nothing of holiness, eternal life was not an option, and the lie, I am a good person was our source of pride. But when God called His Son to come and get us, the Holy Spirit convicted us of our sinfulness which opened our eyes to our guilt. At that moment a marvelous miracle occurred, our blind eyes could see truth, our deaf ears could hear truth, and our hard stubborn heart loved truth. We are now redeemed. No longer guilty before God. In Christ we stand blameless before Him. When we are attacked, accused by Satan, Jesus says to the Father; This one is dead to sin and alive in Me. This one belongs to Me. We know God hears us when we pray and He has been faithful to help us in the past and He will help us always.
Psalm 4:7 KJV Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
The Joy Of The Lord Outshines All That Is Earthly
Now this is not saying don’t work. The question to ask is what is your purpose when you expend energy. In other words, what are you looking to accomplish. If the answer is wealth, possession, position, etc. then scripture says;
Ecclesiastes 1:3 KJV What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
What do you really gain by working and accumulating earthly things. In verse 2 its called vanity and in verse 4 everyone dies, your stuff and money goes to someone else and the earth keeps going. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 6:19-20, 28-33; earthly treasure has no eternal value. As soon as you get that new thing it starts to wear out and can be stolen. But it is much deeper than that. It is a heart issue. Yes, we must have food, clothes, shelter, etc. These are our needs. God says a man is to provide for his family and God knows what those provisions are. So, Jesus is asking, what does your heart treasure. You will know by what you love and chase. As a believer I am to seek the kingdom of God above all else.
What is the kingdom of God?
It is righteousness, peace and joy not eating, drinking, and self-seeking (Romans 14:17). As a believer I chose to give my life to God and I gain my life from God. God is eternal. This world and everyone and everything on it is dying. We will chose life or death everyday. Choosing life, God, gives the reward of His joy that outshines any momentary happiness and excitement this world offers.
Psalm 4:8 KJV I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Why or What is His Purpose For Setting Us Apart?
Isaiah 43:1 KJV But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
God created us and formed us. He chose to redeem us before the foundation of the world therefore I am not to be afraid because I am the Lord God Almighty. God calls each of His own by name and we become His. Jesus said it this way;
John 15:16 KJV Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
John 10:27 KJV My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand
Being redeemed we hear the call, God knows us and we follow Him because we know His voice. We are given eternal life and no one is able to snatch us from the hand of our heavenly Father. God is greater than any problem or trial. God’s love is able to comfort the deepest of our sorrow and suffering. God is there, never to leave us, and our help in time of need.
Isaiah 41:10 KJV Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
The days are becoming more and more evil and uncertain but we have a strong stable foundation on which to stand, lean on, and trust in, Christ. God is our God, He strengthens us, helps us and holds us up by His power. It is through the fires and the floods that we come to know this (Isaiah 43:2).
Once you know God is your safe and secure place you will also know;
Romans 8:35 KJV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Happiness, feelings of safety are based on what we see, have, and feel. Redemption gives us knowledge and wisdom of Christ to know and experience for ourself the love of God that surpasses all knowledge. The depth of God’s love called us out of sin, death, and hell. Now, that God is our purpose for living nothing will ever separate us from the up close personal love of God again.
