The answer is in the Psalms

Sometimes we forget that there is both great wisdom and comfort in the Psalms.  Luther considered them a mini-bible.  Those who composed them suffered many of the same kinds of issues that we do today.  They suffered the extremes of joy, to the depths of anxiety, abuses, bullying, loneliness, ridicule and other difficulties, just like many of us.  Such things narrow us, narrow our thinking, because they become our focus.  The first line in Psalm 4 begins with something that we are often very familiar with.  However, unlike us, the Psalmist (David) doesnʼt ask the question “Why donʼt you answer when I call, why do you leave me in my misery?”  Rather, David says “Answer me when I call,” knowing that God will do exactly that.  The Psalmist says: “You gave me room when I was in distress.”  Calling on God takes that narrowness of thought away.  God allows us room, room to express our anger, our frustration, room to allow our faith to expand, to bring our issues to Him.  He will expand our thoughts and give a way to allow our faith to expand, to bring our issues to Him.  He will expand our thoughts and give a way of dealing with the issues, but it takes trust in God, not in ourselves, and that can be hard, very hard.  But He also tells us to apply all this to Him, to come to Him and unbundle it.  He is the one who is righteous, not us.  He sets things right.  Verse 4 says “when you are disturbed, do not sin.  Do not take matters into your own hands, but ponder it on your beds and and be silent.”  Then, offer right sacrifices.  The beginning of right sacrifices is faith and prayer.  Faith that Jesus has been there before you, suffered much more, for you.  If He did this for you, why do you want to continue in your distress.  As verse 5 says, pass your problems to God and “trust in the Lord.”  It is only then that you can lie down and sleep in peace.

Pastor Darryl