From Distressed to Destressed

Introduction (v1-3)

This is an evening hymns. sleep well

But when life seems to be a series of catastrophes, disappointments, and vexations, buoyancy of spirit is not so easily attained. If our lives were in peril every moment through rebellion at home and plots and snares around, few of us would be found capable, under such circumstances, of writing evening hymns

Sleeping disorder problem due to distress

Have you ever make the same prayer to the Lord due to your distress, yet at the same time find the prayer powerless?

background: Absalom’s revolt in Psalm 3 in which he was humiliated, surrounded by lies, exasperation and gloom.

distresss: implication of being in a tight corner, hard pressed. the problem here is one of malicious slander and lies, more than physical danger. Emotional turbulences.

David first appeals to people’s goodwill and good sense, but ultimately the vindication that matters to him is not in their hands but in God’s (v2-3)

The psalmist’s situation has changed, he experienced peace. He lie down and sleep. These all due to what he has done. He turn to his righteous God.

What to do? (v4)

Tremble and do not sin. No one is ever utterly innocent and totally a righteous sufferer. however, there are times we are falesyly accused and slandered. Someone may want to advance himself by getting us out of the way. or an attack may be occassioned by pure envy.

Whom do you turn to when you hear of an unjust accusation that someone has been making against you? You are at work, and the secretary down the hall stops by your desk and says, “Do you know what so-and-so said about you yesterday?” Then she pours out the story, perhaps even embellishing it a little. Or a business associate circulates a memo in which you are pictured in an unjust light. What do you do? Whom do you tell? Most of us would go to our friends and complain, looking for sympathy. We might even start a slander campaign of our own. It might go: “Well, the only reason she said that is because she.…”

This is not what David did. Instead of turning to friends for sympathy or even attacking his enemies, David turned to God.

David shows a surprisingly kind attitude to his enemies. although slandered and injured by them, David speaks of his enemies kindly and tries to win them from their errors. And there is this: in trying to help them, he unintentionally but inevitably helps himself

Search your hearts and be silent. Self-reflection and silence

Be honest to ourselves. David’s appeal is honest. If David were presenting his case before some other person, he might have pretended something other than what he really felt—or at least, that is what we probably would do. We would pretend that we were less affected by the attack than we were. We would try to keep up appearances. However, David is coming to God, who knows the situation perfectly anyway, and thus he does not need to keep up appearances. He can tell it as it is. He indicates that his enemies are significant men, not people who can safely be ignored. Do you know the advantage of coming to God with your troubles? It is an important one. To come to God means that you do not need to pretend. You can tell him exactly where you hurt and how you feel.

Anger cools if a little time be suffered to pass—if a night be allowed for reflection, and no action be taken till the morrow

the two imperatives, tremble but do not sin and search your hearts and be silent when you ar eon your beds, are interrelated. Bed time is a time when many evil thoughts can come, but it can also be a time for us to come back to God. must learn to submit themselves. Strong emotions are not easily turned in the opposite direction

even with that posture being silence on our bed, it can be an offering to God. “Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.” The enemies are to present the sacrifices to the Lord in accordance with his ordinances (Dt 33:19; Ps 51:16–17, 19) and with the attitude of commitment, because he does not delight in mere sacrifice (1 Sa 15:22; Ps 50:14). They must be “sincere” sacrifices, presented out of wholehearted trust in Yahweh as an expression of submission to him. The sacrifices are only “righteous” (ṣedeq) when they are acts of devotion flowing out of a right relationship with God.

On self-reflection (examen)

“Choose a solitary time; do it when you lie awake upon your beds. Before you turn yourself to go to sleep at night” (as some of the heathen moralists have directed) “examine your consciences with respect to what you have done that day, particularly what you have done amiss, that you may repent of it. When you awake in the night meditate upon God, and the things that belong to your peace.”

On Silence

What happens when we search our hearts and be silent?

realise that our enemies are just mere mortals (v2).

know that the Lord hears (v3). David knew that his only help was in God, which strikingly is where the psalm also ends. The last words of the psalm say: “You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety”. David described himself as one of the godly (ḥāsîḏ), an object of God’s covenantal loyal love. In the care of God, David was safe and God would hear and respond to his prayers.

Trust in the Lord (v5). Although I am disgraced (ver. 2), resisted, in many ways brought to shame, by you, yet still I am God’s servant set apart to his service, and therefore I shall be heard by him. He will hearken to and grant my prayer. his confidence is in the Lord, who will not abandon his beloved in distress but will restore his blessings and joy to them. This confidence gives rise to one blessing that the enemies cannot take away—inward peace (v. 8).

Seek the light of Lord’s face (v6). There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Pessimists are numerous in all ages. Among David’s adherents in his times of distress (ver. 1) would be many who doubted and desponded, anticipating nothing but continued suffering and misfortune. They would ask the question of the text. Or the scope may be wider. Men are always seeking for good, but not knowing what their true good is, David points it out to them. It is to have the light of God’s countenance shining on them. Lord, lift thou up, etc.; compare the form of Levitical benediction (Numb. 6:24–26), and see also Pss. 31:16; 80:3, 7, 19. If we bask in the sunshine of God’s favour, there is nothing more needed for happiness.

Fill our heart with joy (v7). greater than the joy of those reaping an abundant harvest (v. 7). Joy floods our hearts when we are conscious of the Lord’s favor. David is an example to the desponding ones. Notwithstanding his sufferings and calamities, God has looked on him, and so “put gladness in his heart”—a gladness which far exceeds that of his adversaries. Though they are in prosperity, and have their corn and wine increased, and enjoy all the “outward material blessings promised to Israel—the wheat and the grape—for a supply of which he is indebted to the generosity of friends” (Kay), yet he would not change places with them. The spiritual joy which fills his own heart is preferable to any amount of material comforts and pleasures.

God gave him peace even in the turmoil (v. 8). This is the final blessing that came to David as he tried to help those who were his enemies. As Craigie says, “At the end, the psalmist has seen that he is better off than his adversaries. He has advised them to lie still on their beds, in an attempt to curtail their evil (v. 5 [v. 4, our numbering]), but he could lie on his bed and sleep the sleep of peace which came from God.” It is always that way. If we leave our problems with God, he will shoulder them. And he will enable us to sleep in peace

Conclusion

The enemies diligently pursued vanity and deception in an attempt to frustrate the king and bring down his glory (cf. v. 2). Others may have asked where prosperity had gone (v. 6). David was not worried about the outcome. He was concerned, but not anxious, about the people (vv. 3–7). He committed his way to the Lord as he went to sleep. The enemies may have vexed themselves on their beds (v. 4), but he experienced “peace”—the peace that comes as a blessing from God (Nu 6:26). His confidence in Yahweh “alone” is the reason for his peaceful sleep. The expression “make me dwell in safety” connotes not only the absence of enemies and hostilities but also the presence of peace (Dt 33:28; Jer 23:6; Eze 34:25, 27–28; 38:8, 14; Hos 2:18; cf. Mic 7:14). It has an eschatological dimension, as it looks for God to act as the faithful Shepherd, ensuring the security of his people. He alone can fully restore his people to the full experience of his covenantal blessing

Silence is a hard lesson. the psalmist teaches us that in our walk with God he can bring us to the point where we can sleep without fear.

In silence that leads to his quiet confidence in God, David turn from his distress to de-stressed. Quietness in God is the therapy. in silence, we learn to meditate on God’s fatherly care and to leave the troubles and causes of anxiety in his hands