Psalm 4
Psalm 4 is kind of a mixed bag. There is a lot going on as the writer, David, is having a conversation with God, and then with the reader. But tucked in with these 8 verses, is a single verse in which God, takes the pen from the hand of David, and writes a sobering statement. A statement that every one of us needs to hear loud and clear. A statement that should have us turning from our sin-soaked reality, and sprinting at what Captain James T. Kirk would call Warp Factor 5, to the open, waiting, forgiving, merciful, compassionate, and caring arms of Jesus. A statement that should pierce our heart like an arrow from the bow of Robin Hood at 50 paces. A statement that…ok, ok, I get it. You want to know what that statement is. So, without further ado…music rising to a crescendo…curtain going up…and… “How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?”
The first part may be obvious to us, but what about that second sentence? What exactly is God saying here? What does he mean by loving worthlessness and seeking falsehood? Well, in the Old Testament, worthless and falsehood are descriptions associated with false idols. And here is the part where we tell ourselves that we do not have any false idols, and how dare someone tell us we do.
Oh sure, most of us don’t have little statues of Artemis or Zeus laying around our houses. We have no intention of gathering all our gold jewelry and melting it down so that we can shape it into a cow, only to claim it somehow formed itself into a mystical bovine. But have you ever chased after a promotion so hard that it became the number one priority in your life? Have you ever made knowledge the holy grail, never being satisfied with what you know right now? Are you always after the latest sports car? Bigger house? Latest medical procedure to make yourself look 20 years younger? Ouch.
Let me stop here, take a couple of steps back, and for a moment, be real…be transparent…be vulnerable. Because I have. There were moments in my 30 years in the Air Force where I spent a lot of time studying and preparing for the next promotion. I like to believe that I did not put it ahead of my relationship with God, and my family. But if I being completely honest…and that is the goal here…I am sure there were times when I failed at prioritizing the right things first. Education? Yep. I went hard after earning degrees. Same thing; failed correct prioritization. I have never felt like I had to have the newest car or house. I’m driving a 16-year-old car, and my bride and I are living in our forever home. And I’m nearly 60 and have no plans for cosmetic surgery. But I have had other challenges. Let me throw this one out there. For most of my time as a Christ-follower, I have made scripture memory an important component of that relationship. Several years ago, a friend gave me a developed plan to memorize the entire New Testament. I know it sounds crazy. But I took the challenge. I started with the book of James, because that is one of my favorites. Then I moved on to 1 Timothy. Then Titus. And while I was memorizing the closing verses of Titus, it hit me. What was I doing? I was so busy chasing the goal of memorizing God’s word, that it became more important than God’s word. Let me repeat that for those in the back. I was so busy chasing the goal of memorizing God’s word, that it became more important than God’s word. In other words, I made scripture memorization a false idol. Not because God’s word isn’t worth memorizing. Of course it is. In fact, the psalmist reminds us that one of the greatest ways we can combat impurity is by memorizing scripture. That way, we can fight temptation by remembering what God’s word says, just like Jesus did in the wilderness when tempted by the devil. But that has to be the reason for memorizing scripture, not because you are following some plan.
Promotions, homes, cars, education, knowledge. None of these things are bad or evil…except when they usurp the rightful place of God. Instead, we should remember that God’s word says:
- Promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: He puts down one, and exalts another. (Psalm 75: 6-7)
- Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. (Matthew 6:25)
- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
- Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; let not the mighty man glory in his might; nor the rich man in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
If we do these things, then the last verse in Psalm 4 becomes real in our lives. “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
