When You Are
Distressed
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Being a believer in
Christ does not exempt a person from distress.
The word "distress" means narrow or a
tight place or trouble. It also means
adversary, foe, enemy, or
oppressor. Thus distress speaks of the
pressure of attack from circumstances, people, or the
devil, with consequent anguish and anxiety. In
colloquial English, it is being
Abetween a
rock and a hard place.@
But when we are Aup
against a wall@
or we get Ain
a jam,@ we can
learn from David in Psalm 4 (NAS) how to walk through
distress in God=s
peace.
While under attack
(perhaps while on the run during Absalom=
s rebellion), David calls out to God. He remembers
that, in the past, AThou
hast relieved me in my distress@
(vs. 1). People who loved lies were reproaching
his honor (vs. 2) and insinuating that there was no hope
for him (vs. 6). Thus David encourages himself in
the Lord against fear and unbelief.
He reminds himself that
when he calls, God answers, because God is righteous
(vs. 1) and because God has set the godly man apart for
Himself (vs. 3; see I Peter 2:9-10). Therefore,
David instructs his own heart to wait on the Lord:
Tremble, and do not
sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be
still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
and trust in the Lord (vs.4-5).
ATremble@
(Astand in awe@BKJV)
may signify the proper fear of the Lord (see Psalm 99:1
and Jeremiah 33:9). But the word means
Ato quiver
(with any violent emotion, especially anger or fear).@
Here it may express David=s
natural reactions to being attacked, including
excitation, perturbation, agitation, anger, or rage, as
well as fear. [Some commentators believe it is
these words of David,
Atremble, and do not sin,@
which are are quoted by Paul in Ephesians 4:26 (ABe
angry, and do not sin....@
)].
Thus David determines not
to give in to the impulses of his flesh when under
attack. Rather, he instructs himself to
Ameditate in
your heart upon your bed, and be still.@
AMeditate@
simply means say or speak. So David
speaks to himself to be in faith and not react. He
offers Athe
sacrifices of righteousness,@
which is done by lifting a
Abroken and a
contrite heart@
to God (Psalm 51:17). He voices thanksgiving and
praise, which are the fitting responses to a righteous
Savior who has made us righteous (see Isaiah 61:10).
And he actively trusts God. (See also Psalm 37:1-11).
Handling his distress
this way, David experiences
Agladness in
my heart@ (vs.
7) and Apeace@
(vs. 8). He is able to
Alie down and
sleep@
undisturbed, being confident that God is making him
Adwell in
safety@ as He
undertakes for David against his enemies.