Psalm 4 begins with the plea, “Give me relief from my distress,” and it ends with the assertion, “In peace I will lie down and sleep”. What happened in between to change the mood of this psalm so drastically by the end? The answer is simple: the psalmist entrusted himself to God’s care. He put his life in God’s hands and then trusted God with the outcome. The psalmist does what Peter tells us to do: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). With his life in God’s hands the psalmist then focuses, not on his situation, but on God who is with him in this situation and what God would have him do: “Do not sin…search your heart…offer right sacrifices.” This psalm, therefore, gives us the key to finding peace in the midst of turmoil. If you are facing a difficult situation now, then pray for that situation. Entrust it to God. Once you have done this, you need to recognise that it is no longer your problem but God’s. It might still be your responsibility, and you must not shirk that in any way, but you must not try to play God in it. You might be responsible but you are not sovereign. So leave the outcome to God and focus on the right process. Focus on doing the right thing, the loving thing, the best and wisest thing. When you do this, you will be secure in God’s will and there is no safer place than this.
Cast all your concerns onto God.
Read Psalm 4
