Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.
Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.
Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us. Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. - Psalm 4
When people are doing well-healthy, finances ok, relationships ok--other people who are watching just assume that they must be "doing something right." Like the people in this Psalm: "Who will bring us prosperity?" At the hint of prosperity, suddenly they are devout follows...of someone.
But it turns out that success is a poor indicator of whether you have found the right god to follow. "How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?" It appears in this psalm that the leader is in trouble. The people seem to be having doubts and the God in whom the leader professed confidence is losing the popularity vote. Things aren't going in the direction that people assume would indicate God's favor, so they want a change in management.
But every other god, no matter how promising, will always end in disappointment, because only God has the real power to guarantee things. That's why the author of this psalm seeks to secure God's agreement on things, because once God says it, he doesn't go back.
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