Daily Verse August 25, 2010

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

1 Answer me when I call to you,

O my righteous God.

Give me relief from my distress;

be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?

How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

Selah

3 Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;

the Lord will hear when I call to him.

4 In your anger do not sin;

when you are on your beds,

search your hearts and be silent.

Selah

5 Offer right sacrifices

and trust in the Lord.

6 Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”

Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.

7 You have filled my heart with greater joy

than when their grain and new wine abound.

8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O Lord,

make me dwell in safety.

(Psalm 4, NIV)

David prays, reproves the wicked, and testifies the happiness of the righteous, ver. 1 - 3

Exhorts them to consider and serve God, ver. 4 - 5

Declares his own experience of the grace of God, ver. 6 - 8

Verses:

4:1 O God - The witness and defender of my righteous cause.

4:2 My glory - By his glory probably he means that honour which God had conferred upon him. Vanity - Wickedness. Lying - Those calumnies which they raised against him, to make him odious to all the people.

4:3 Godly - Me, whom, though you traduce as an hypocrite, God hath pronounced to he a man after his own heart, 13:14 .For himself - In his stead, or to be his vicegerent, as all kings are, and especially the kings of God's own people.

4:4 In awe - Be afraid, if not of me, yet of God, who hath engaged in my cause. Sin not - By prosecuting your rebellion against God's authority.On your bed - Calmly consider these things in the silent night, when you are at leisure from distracting business. Be still - Compose your tumultuous minds.

4:5 Offer - Unto God, that he may be reconciled to you.Righteousness - Righteous sacrifices; which requires that the persons offering them be righteous and do righteous things, and offer them with an honest mind, with faith and true repentance. Without which, he intimates, that all their sacrifices were of no esteem with God, and would be wholly unprofitable to them.

4:6 Many - Of my followers, who are weary of waiting upon God.Who - Who will put an end to our troubles, and give us tranquility.Lift up - Upon me and my friends. Give us an assurance of thy love, and evidence it by thy powerful assistance.

4:7 Thou hast - Whatsoever thou shalt do with me for the future, I have at present unspeakable satisfaction in the testimonies of thy love to my soul; more than worldly persons have in the time of a plentiful harvest.

4:8 In peace - In tranquility of mind, resting securely upon God's promises.

(Wesley's Explanatory Notes)