A Word about Finding Relief

Today I want to share a word about relief, as I comment on Psalm 4. This passage reads:

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

Sometimes we all need a little relief.  Jerry Clower was a country-boy comedian whose signature story told about going racoon hunting as a child. The humorous tale ended with a fellow called Mr. John being caught in a tall tree with a wildcat.  A fearsome fight ensued between the wildcat and Mr. John, which resulted in him calling out, “Shoot up here amongst us, 'cause one of us got to have some relief.”  

We all need some relief from time to time, and for Christians, that relief comes through the protection we find in God, as a part of God’s family. 

The Psalmist wrote of this protection in Psalm 4.

FROM WHOM DOES GOD PROTECT US?

First, He protects us from ourselves because often we are our own worst enemies. It is instructive to note that fratricide, or “friendly fire” caused more casualties to allied troops in Operation Desert Storm than did the Iraqi armed forces. As the ironic saying among soldiers goes, “Friendly fire isn’t!”

Likewise, we often cause our own spiritual defeats and so we turn God's glory into shame, a word that implies rejection of God and turning away from Him. Like fratricide on the battlefield, these defeats are particularly bruising, like the way both Judas and Peter betrayed Jesus.

God not only protects us from ourselves, but He also protects us from others. They may scoff at us because of our faith in God. They may rely on their own prosperity and power, but God will put a gladness in the hearts of His people that all their “corn and wine” cannot match. 

As Jesus told us, we have an abundant life in Christ, one that those who taunt us will be envious of in their hearts, if not in their words.

HOW DO WE RECEIVE THIS PROTECTION?

The Psalmist provided some very clear guidance about how we can receive this protection. First, we must pray! We need to call upon God when we are in distress, but we also need to have a relationship with Him in the good times as well! We don’t need to be like the neighbor who never calls on us unless he needs help.

We also must guard our passions. Anger is a normal human emotion but is a potentially destructive one. If anger is allowed to build, it will destroy our lives from the inside out. As the old saying goes, “You can only fall on your sword once.”

In addition, the Psalmist told us that we must know God's promises. He has made hundreds! They were made for us! They are present in the Bible! But they are of no use if not claimed!

Finally, we see that we must act like God's children. How do you expect a mule to act?  Like a mule! We must act like who we are and be righteous and fruitful. In Acts 1:8, Jesus told us we would be His witnesses to the uttermost parts of the world, but what kinds of witnesses will we be? Good or bad?

WHAT PROTECTION DOES GOD PROVIDE? 

The good news for His people is that God has set Himself apart for us. He is our God, and He hears us when we pray to Him! This is a factor in the process of finding relief which we must not, cannot, discount!

One of my most frustrating experiences in recent years was when I was locked out of my account with the firm that hosts a web page for me. The only way to contact this giant social media company was through email or a chat feature on the contact page on their website. No phone number was published, no customer service representative was available for me to call. I was unable to resolve my problem for months until finally, one random day my account was restored, with no explanation. I had resigned myself to having to start over with a different hosting company, and even today, I am suspicious that this problem will return. This is not the way it is between God and His people! We can always call upon Him, and He is always available, 24/7/365!

Because we can call on Him, God relieves our stress. When in distress we need relief, and He has mercy upon us, and He helps us. He provides for us exactly what we need when we are in trouble. As He does this, He brings safety to us and the peace that follows. This allows us to rest and sleep in a way that we could not if God was not watching over us!

CONCLUSION 

I think the words of Psalm 27:1-5 are a great way to conclude this devotional thought about finding relief:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Every blessing!  

Dr. Otis Corbitt