“Psa 4:1 To the Chief Musician. With Stringed Instruments. A Psalm of David. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.”

What I admire about David in Psalm chapter 4 is his trust and confidence in God. David, throughout his life, had been through many trials and had to flee for his life on many occasions. He was constantly pursued by Saul and his men and betrayed by even his own son, Absalom.

Yet despite all these things, David was able to feel safe and secure knowing that God was on His side. He was able to sleep in peace despite being on the run (vs 8). This assurance in God even gave gladness in his heart. (vs 7)

In our lives today, we may face many trials and difficulties. It may be difficult to find a sense of peace amidst all our worries and anxieties. How then can we be able to fully put our trust in God just as David did? How can we be sure God will help us?

David had full confidence in God’s help because he was godly (vs 3). What does it mean to be godly? Verse 3 starts with “but” so it is used in contrast to verse 2. Verse 2 talks about those who love worthlessness and seek falsehood. This is the opposite of being godly. When we set our minds on things of the world, we are no different from the people of the world. But when we set our mind on things above, on God’s matters, matters of the church and our own faith, this is how we can take a step towards the journey to becoming more godly.

We need to, therefore, ask ourselves, what do we love and what do we seek? When we love something and seek it, it will always be on our minds. This can be anything from entertainment like gaming, music, to our studies or even other people. These things, however, are worthless and amount to nothing when we seek them (Matt 6:19-21). It will only temporarily satisfy our desires whilst leaving a sense of emptiness in which only God Himself can fill (Ecc 3:11).

When we love God and have Him in our hearts then we will be inclined to seek God. When we have this inclination, this is very precious in God’s eyes. God acknowledges our hearts when we seek after Him and He will set us apart for Himself. Knowing this, we can have this confidence that He will answer our prayers when we call to Him just as David did.

David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). What kind of heart do we have towards God?