04.22.04

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Selah. But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the LORD will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. There are many who say, "Who will show us any good?" LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. - Psalm 4.

While working in the oilfield I was on a job in Canadian, Texas when a storm came up. A tornado was spotted headed for the town and the storm sirens were blown. The safest public building in town that I knew of was the courthouse and so we went there along with many others to wait out the storm. Thankfully, the tornado missed the town completely. Some in Utica, Illinois seeking protection from a tornado did exactly what I did. They sought safety in the sturdiest building that they could find. The Millstone Tavern located in the bottom floor of a three-story building appeared to be very sturdy. The building was made with blocks of limestone some weighing as much as 900 pounds. You would think that the tavern would have been safer than the mobile homes from which some fled. Tragically, at least eight people died when the building collapsed.

This world in which we live is filled up with dangerous things that could possibly harm us. From bee stings to hurricanes, there is a vast range of things that threaten our survival. In addition, we sometimes have to be concerned about our fellow human beings who may carelessly or intentionally cause us harm.

Keeping safe can become a preoccupation resulting eventually in a paralysis of our lives. There are many who are afraid to leave their homes. There are many who leave there homes but are constantly expecting harm to come upon them. Of course, we should be aware of our environment and take precautions to avoid known hazards. However, many go far beyond this with the primary energies of their lives spent in keeping safe.

In the midst of a dangerous world, how can we live a “normal” life? King David dealt with this very problem. His world was a more dangerous world than most of us will ever encounter. David was hunted like an animal and had to hide out in a foreign land for a time. He had to live in caves at other times always aware that his enemies could come upon him at any time. At least once his enemies succeeded and carried away his family and the families of his men. With God’s empowerment and direction, all was recovered. The words that David writes in the Psalms are words that he has personally lived.

God can do for us what He did for David. What did God do for David? Here is some of what God did, “relieved me in my distress”; “put gladness in my heart”; “I will lie down in peace and sleep”; and, “You…make me dwell in safety”. In the middle of David’s hazardous life, God enable him to have peace and normality. God can do the same for you and me.

David tells us the conditions that are necessary to bring about that peace and normality. David continually looks to God through prayer for his safety and knows that God will hear the prayers of the godly. Even during the night, David meditates upon the goodness and mercies of His God. He “offers the sacrifices of righteousness” living as he believes God would have him to and trusts God to honor his righteous living. More than once David could have killed his nemesis, Saul - however, Saul was the Lord’s anointed and David refused to take the easy way out. Instead, David allowed God’s will to be fulfilled in his life even though it was a difficult path. By doing so, David was able to have “gladness” of heart and sleep in “peace.”

Let us put our trust in the Lord and live life with boldness knowing and believing He is with us each step of the way.