Second Sunday in Lent: Psalm, Psalm 4      

Psalm 4

I’m learning, the older I get, that the groans of the Bible are real. What do I mean by “groans”? I mean those places where the words betray the recognition by God and by us, of just how far we move away from the Father’s will. I am also learning that the book of Psalms is where most of the groaning is exposed. Our Psalm for the week lays bare perspectives from both heaven and earth. The psalm begins with David, “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.” And David’s address to the Lord is key. Any standing as righteous or being godly on the part of any psalmist is pure gift. As for all of us, our righteousness comes from without, not within.

David continues, “How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?” This second verse is loaded. Through David, God exposes the human heart and its true longing with words: “turn,” “love,” and “seek.” We, on our own, would turn from the greatness of God and His gifts. And not just turn, but actively yearn for what is offensive to God. We seek and love what God despises. We crave our ruin.

A couple points about this and all the psalms. Remember this is the prayer book of Jesus. He has prayed what you and I are praying. He prays this as the perfect Son of God for all the sons of men. And we pray the psalms through our perfect Brother to our common Father. Jesus knows what it is to declare fearlessly and faultlessly His own divine Word. But He also knows perfectly what it is for humanity to “need” the Father, for He will carry our heart-scars of sin.

Read and pray every single word of Psalm 4. Hold them close. And cry with David, “LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us” (v. 6b). The results are words you dare not miss. I’ll let you find the treasure on your own.