Psalm 4

"Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord will hear when I call to him.
In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.
Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.
Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

We are studying Psalms this semester in our women's bible study. Needless to say, it has been unreal amazing so far. I learned this past week that David penned this Psalm (much like many of the others) when he was being sought after by his own son, Absalom. The psalm is a cry to the Lord for protection & peace. I have overlooked this psalm for one reason or another in the past, but this week brought about a concentrated study on it. One of the things that makes me love this particular psalm is David's urgency, his immediacy, for God to intervene on his behalf. "Answer me!", "Give me relief!", "hear me when I call to you!" I will dare say that I have never prayed like that. My prayers are more along the lines of, "God, if you can do this, please do it." My prayers are filled with more pleading & begging, rather than boldness & straight-forwardness. David knows who God is & he is not afraid to claim it. He is not afraid to tell God exactly what he wants, when he needs it, & why he should receive it. That may sound selfish or self-seeking at first, but after each request, David always follows it up with a confirmation of God's character. "O righteous God", "you make me dwell in safety", "may the light of your face shine upon us" Simply put, David longs to love God the best way he can, & everything he prays for is marked by that longing.
O, that my life would be marked by the same...