Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us. Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:6-8 (NIV)
Slow down and read those few verses just one more time. If you are able, I want to encourage you to speak them out loud in the pace that you would present a children’s book to a room full of first graders. Take your time and then sit with this scripture, even if just for a moment.
What’s on your mind? What is God saying to YOU through these few verses? Before you read on through this post, I want to encourage you to take one more baby step back and read the full eight verses of Psalm 4 in this same way. If you don’t have a Bible handy, you can find Psalm 4 in the New King James Version at the end of this post. Go take a look and then come back to this spot – it won’t go anywhere.
A few weeks ago, I listened to a pastor speak on quiet time. He provided some beautiful guidance on how we may structure our time with the Lord that it may turn from a duty to a desire. He also clarified that this so-called “quiet time” is not just checking the box on your Bible study for the day, but rather it is intimate and undistracted time with Jesus. Bible studies are fantastic, as we are surely to know and dive into the Word of God, but this set aside time with the Lord is different.
Though I would love to type out the whole message from that pastor for you to read here, I tell you that today to say, slow down. In the same way that you and I likely desire for our loved ones to sit down and be still by our sides, so too does the Lord desire this time with His children. If the Creator of this world finds joy in this time with you or I… how much more should we long for this time with Him alone? This time that is so incredibly available to us in and through every moment of every day?
Oftentimes, it’s easy for us to humanize this time with God and measure it by how many verses we can read, how many words we can say, how many things we can pray, or even how many minutes we can make it before we’re up, out of our seats and the quiet time has come to an end. But this morning I want to challenge you to remember that it’s not about any of those things. This time with the Lord cannot be measured by our human standards, as perhaps the only value to be measured is hidden within the heart; a space that only the Lord can see and I do not think that happened by coincidence.
This morning I read Psalm 4 over and over and over again. I read it in my head and I read it out loud. I read it in multiple translations. I wrote it out with paper and pen. I typed it out more than once. I read it one verse at a time and I read it all as one. Eight verses have consumed my morning and it has been absolutely beautiful. Eight verses out of the thirty-one-thousand- one-hundred-and-two verses in the Bible and God has spoken so much to me here today. How much more there is to hear!
I may share with you the beauty of what God has shown me in this scripture down the road, but today, I simply want to encourage you to dwell. If you have your own scripture that the Lord is leading you to this morning, that’s great – dwell on that! But if you’re searching for something to dwell upon today, join me in spending some time with Psalm 4. You don’t have to dissect every sentence or study up on your Hebrew. I simply want to encourage you to just be still with His word this morning.
Meditate upon it. Savor it. Carry it with you through this day.
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.
How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah.
But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him.
Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the Lord.
There are many who say, "Who will show us any good?" Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4 (NKJV)
My hope and prayer is that the Lord will fill you with gladness and peace as you go forward today.
With love,
Your Sister in Christ
