I remember while growing up hearing my parents say that time seems to go by more quickly the older you get. Well, even though I am quite young, I find that I already agree with that statement. For me personally, if I think back five years ago, I was just getting married, enjoying having served as pastor here for one year, was living in the married housing complex at Union University, and things around me seemed pretty settled. At that time it would have been difficult to imagine that only five years later I would have two children, live just down the street, and have been able to be a part of the many great things that have happened in the life of this church. At the same time, however, it would have been difficult to think of the hard times as well. It would have been difficult to imagine some hard times in ministry, and (on a larger scale) that our nation would have been severely attacked by terrorists, that we would have soldiers fighting in numerous places around the world, that New Orleans would have been all but wiped off the map, that gas would be selling in West Tennessee for three dollars a gallon, and that we would have witnessed some of the greatest catastrophes in our nation’s history in this span of five years.

Life can simply change quickly, and before you know it, you can find yourself in a difficult situation. You can go from one moment thinking all is fine to another in which you feel like you’ve never been in deeper turmoil. For some of you I do not have to say much to convince you of this. You remember points in your life where one day all seemed fine and then the next you felt like your life was falling apart. Simply knowing the details of the lives of many in this room, I know this is true.

So, the question then becomes, “What do we do when we find ourselves in those times?” What do we do when we find our lives in the midst of turmoil? What do we do when our distress mounts to the point of being uncontrollable?

In Psalm 4, we find the writings of a man who found his life in turmoil and his distress mounting. We’re not exactly sure what was going on in David’s life as he wrote this psalm. Some have suggested that this psalm was written when David was fleeing for his life from Saul. Others suggest that David wrote this psalm after his son, Absalom, led a revolt against him and David had to hide away. Either way, this is a psalm is which David obviously appears to be in distress and has many against him, seeking to turn his honor into shame. And, either way, this psalm will aid us in thinking through how we are to respond when we find ourselves in similar situations of hardship and distress.

Therefore, what I want us to see from the psalm this morning is how we should respond to times of difficulty and distress by looking at how David responded in this psalm. Then, at the end of looking at what we can learn by David’s response, I want us to consider what may be the ultimate purpose of this psalm as we think through how David’s like was meant to lead us to think of his greater Son who came after him to reign on the throne of an everlasting kingdom – Jesus of Nazareth. Let us now turn to looking at how David responded, as I will point to his response by wording it as an exhortation to us. When we find ourselves in times of hardship and distress …

We must pray (v. 1)

As David is being challenged, possibly his life threatened, and his name dishonored, his first action is to pray. He writes in verse 1, “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!”

He prays because he knows who God is, the God of his righteousness. When I was little before meals I would often pray, “God is great. God is good. Let us think him for this food. Amen.” Now, that may have become a popular prayer for children just because it’s quick, easy to memorize, and rhymes. But one of the helpful things it did is to remind me again and again of the nature and character of God. I would say daily, “God is great. God is good.” And later in life when I was going through difficult times, it was appealing to turn to God in prayer because I believed those words I spoke as a child, namely, that God is great and good. I remember more than once lying on my bed at night, distressed in my soul, and crying out with complete confidence because I felt I knew the character of God. That’s what David does. He prays when his righteousness is being tarnished in the eyes of many because of spreading falsehood because he knows that God is a God of righteousness.

He also prays because he knows what God has done for him in the past. David says, “You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.” That is, “You have been gracious in the past, therefore, I ask you to be gracious to me now.” But again, why would that be helpful. I mean, I’ve done things a number of times that when I finish them I say to myself, “Man, I will never do that again.” Why does David think that God’s past action might be establishing precedent for what he will do again?

I think David speaks of God’s past work in his prayer for two reasons. The first is that David is reminding himself of God’s faithfulness to his people, especially David as the anointed king. God had covenanted with David in 2 Samuel 7. Therefore, I believe David was speaking the reality that he was aware what God had done and recalled his faithfulness, which he believed he would continue to see. Second, I believe David understood that our God does not act in an arbitrary way, but acts in accordance with his character and nature. That is to say, I may do a number of things that I wish I hadn’t done or are not in line with the kind of person I want to be, but God is not like that. What he does reflects who he is. Therefore, when David remembers God’s love displayed toward his child, the one whom he had chosen to be king, he believes it is a reflection of God’s faithful love toward his chosen ones.

The same is true for us. Why should prayer be our first action when we find ourselves in difficulty and distress? It should be our first action because we know who God is and what he’s already done for us. As believers we know that God is great, but we also know his goodness. We know that he has sent his Son to die for us. Therefore, Paul reasons in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Paul knows that he should not fear every situation in life being used by God to make Paul more like Christ, for God had sent his Son to die for him. We can know the same. Therefore, though I know it is difficult to pray, let us be found much in prayer in our difficult circumstances, lifting up our needs to a God who since childhood many of us have learned is great and good, for he indeed is.

We must understand the need of those around us who do not know Christ and labor for their repentance (vv. 2-5)

This is an interesting turn in the psalm. David is being attacked. That is, his distress is not simply because of himself, his own poor choices, or the like. David’s distress is brought on by men disgracing him, attacking him, slandering him, and maybe even seeking his life. So what does David do after lifting up his need to the Lord? He addresses his attackers. He writes in verses 2-5, “O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah. But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.”

David, though not speaking directly to his hearers speaks of them in prayer. It’s as if he’s conversing with them. He asks them how long they will continue seeking his dishonor and how long they will seek after lies? He asks, “How long will you continue to do those things that are bringing such difficulty to me?” However, then he turns his thoughts and exhorts them. He exhorts them to realize God’s love for him and choice of him as king. He wants them to see that to come against the Lord’s anointed one is to come against the Lord himself. He urges them to take all of their emotion and not let it lead to sin. He pleads with them to lie still in their beds, be quiet, and realize what they are doing. And, finally, he tells them to worship the Lord and trust him.

Do you see? In the midst of this prayer David prays about the holiness of his enemies. Other times, we all know, David will display the justice of the Lord in asking that they might be crushed. But in this particular psalm, David expresses his hopes for his enemies’ repentance and for their following of the Lord.

I think this is instructive for us as well. No doubt many of us will find ourselves in situations where people are what are causing our problems. They have hurt us deeply, maybe even physically. And we find ourselves with a difficult time. In those times, let us remember that their repentance is to be valued even above our own well-being. That is, we should rather our enemies repent and honor the Lord with their lives than even that we live in comfort. Jesus commanded us to love our enemies. So, may difficult situations, prompted by the actions of men against you be a reminder to you to pray for their repentance, in order that God might be honored in their holy lives.

We must care for our brothers and sisters, praying for them as well (vv. 6-7)

David’s outward focus, however, does not simply focus on those against him. David, as the king, also remembers his people. He knows that his pain and the difficulty of the situation that’s affecting him right now is also affecting them, and he’s burdened for them. Therefore, he prays, “There are many who say, \"Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!\" You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”

David remembers his people who are saying, “When we will have any good happen in our lives” and he prays that God would let them know the same joy that he’s experienced, a greater joy than man outside of Christ have when they have all they think they want. David has found the blessing of joy in the Lord and he wants others to know it as well. This too is instructive for us.

When we are going through difficult times, it is easy to be self-focused. We know that we legitimately have difficulty and so we excuse ourselves from looking to minister to no one else but only to be ministered to ourselves. David does not do that, and neither should we. Rather, our difficulties should be a reminder to us that there are others in difficult situations as well. For suffering is one of the best tools in equipping us to care for and minister to others. Therefore, allow suffering to work to that end. Seek your joy in the Lord, and then seek for others to know that same joy in their own difficult circumstances.

Finally, we must commit ourselves to the Lord, trust in him, and know his peace (v. 8)

David’s final action is to rest in the Lord. He ends the psalm writing, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (v. 8). David knows that his hope is in God alone. If God were against him it would not matter if anyone was for him, for he would have no hope. On the other hand, because God is for him, it does not matter if all the world is against him because he knows God can protect him. So he sleeps at night. Isn’t the ability to rest in peace and sleep an invaluable gift? And David knows it because he has committed himself to the Lord and trusts him.

This is our final response in difficult times. After praying, lifting up our enemies, and seeking to care for those around us, we leave ourselves in the Lord’s hands. We give our situation to the Lord and trust him to work. We do not pray and then go back to thinking it is all in our hands, but we trust the great and good God to act on our behalf, for our good. This is how we respond in times of distress.

But is that what this psalm is about? To some degree, I think it is. Otherwise, I would not have spent the time this morning pointing out how David’s response in distress is helpful in guiding us as well. However, I do think there is a greater purpose to this psalm as well. This psalm is to remind us of another King who went through a difficult time, and in the midst of his suffering prayed both for his enemies and his people, and entrusted himself to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. This psalm, I believe, is ultimately to remind us of the Christ who suffered in order that we might have eternal life and be able to approach our Father in prayer. This psalm is to remind us of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and the blessings we have in him. If he had not done that for us all of the things we have said this morning would be pointless, for we would justly be under God’s wrath and have no reason to expect his love. However, because of what Christ did for us we can have great hope in our God who sent his Son to die for us and live with peace, knowing that we have committed our lives to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. May we remember this as we come to the table. Amen.

HANDLING DIFFICULTY AND REMEMBERING THE ANOINTED KING

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