Prayer – Page 10 – The Nexus

Morning Musing: Psalm 4:8

September 19, 2018September 12, 2018Leave a comment

“I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me live in safety. (CSB – Read the chapter)

Think for a minute about where this journey started. David was mad. He was upset. He was offended. He was hurt. Things weren’t right in his world to the point that he was losing sleep over it. You and I have been right there with him too. We’ve felt like the world is out to get us. Or maybe it was just one person. But that one person was stealing our joy, which actually means we were giving it away to them because joy is something that can’t be taken, it can only be given. Think about all of that and read these words again. How’d he get here? How can we make sure we arrive here with him? Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Psalm 4:5

September 12, 2018September 4, 2018Leave a comment

“Offer sacrifices in righteousness and trust in the Lord.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

As David continues wrestling with the angst of some offense he’s been dealt, in v. 5 here, he turns explicitly religious for the first time. What on earth will offering “sacrifices in righteousness” do for us when we’ve been offended? Is religion supposed to save us when we’re mad? Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Psalm 4:3

September 7, 2018September 4, 2018Leave a comment

“Know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Trying to sleep with disquiet in your heart is no easy thing to do. In fact, it can be downright impossible. This becomes particularly true when the turmoil is the result of some offense we have been dealt. It’s easy to lie there and just stew about it, but it’s better—and it may actually ultimately lead to a good night’s sleep—to have a conversation with God about it. Yet, where do we start? Psalm 4 offers us a great model to follow. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Psalm 4:2

September 5, 2018September 4, 2018Leave a comment

“How long, exalted ones, will my honor be insulted? How long will you love what is worthless and pursue a lie? Selah” (CSB – Read the chapter)

If David’s first cry was up, his second cry is out. When someone else has hurt us or made us angry or dealt us some injustice, it’s okay for us to go ahead and acknowledge that. Refusing to do so both in our hearts and even out loud isn’t somehow holy or righteous. It’s deceitful and dishonest. If you’ve been hurt, claim it. It won’t get any better until you do. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Psalm 4:1 Part 2

September 3, 2018August 27, 2018Leave a comment

“Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.” (CSB – Read the chapter) ‬‬

So then, where do we turn when we lie down to sleep with a heart that is full of turmoil? Over the course of the eight verses of this Psalm, David turns three places: Up, out, and in. The out and the in are important because, 1. we need to speak (at least metaphorically) to our sources of anxiety from a place of righteousness; and 2. our self-talk in times of emotional distress is really important. But, he begins and ends with up, because with God is where we will ultimately find the resources we need to resolve our tension and when He has provided them we do need to express our gratitude for it. Read the rest…