Psalm 4 - 11.6.23

Scripture

Psalms‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

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Observation

This is a Psalm of David; a song to be sung with stringed instruments. King David was in distress when he wrote this. He was petitioning the Lord for relief and speaking out the truth of who he knows God to be. God hears and is trustworthy.

Application

Petition and worship the Lord when in distress. He hears us, is trustworthy and makes us dwell in safety. Also, share your stories with others!

For a few days last week (Wednesday night to Friday afternoon), I would say that I was in distress, worrying about the stomach pain of my daughter. She had to miss 2 days of school because of the pain and long story short, without Jesus, I would have been an utter mess. It is hard seeing your child in pain and not being able to do anything about it, but cuddle and encourage them through it.

Moses and I fasted and prayed on Thursday. I was singing the hymn “It is well with my soul” over myself and meditating on this verse through the peak of her pain.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This situation also encouraged me how important it is to reach out to others with Christ’s love for them. I do not know how the lost could deal with hard circumstances without Jesus and a church family. All the prayers, encouragement, SOAP journal posts last week and Pastor Katie’s sermon on Sunday strengthened me to get through those few days.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for giving me peace and helping me lie down and sleep through hard circumstances and distress. You are the only One who keeps me sane through hard situations. I pray for those going through distress right now. I also pray for those who don’t know You and that I would be bold to share my stories of how You’ve helped me and continue to help me through it all. Amen.

-Michelle Gaddi