Psalm 4 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 4 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.
Verse 2How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? Selah
Verse 3But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.
Verse 4When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Selah
Verse 5Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
Verse 6There are many who say, "O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!"
Verse 7You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound.
Verse 8I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
Devotion
The psalmists struggle with distress, shame, and lies. They agonize with the many who desire to “see some good!” Shaking off God’s absence, they insist that God accompany them in their deep hurt, “Answer me when I call…; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.”
“Accompaniment” as a caregiver role implies walking beside others as they face woes and wounds. The caregiver offers no judgment and limited words. Accompaniment is presence with purpose—to hold space for the other, to support them in whatever it is that they are going through. Just so God accompanies the distressed psalmists.
I met with an older woman recently. She was clearly distressed and hurting. Religious practice proved hollow to her. God’s absence drummed loud in the chambers of her heart. Oftentimes there’s no fix, no satisfaction, no solution. Learning from God, I accompanied her, listening in her distress.
This day, whatever you encounter that may distress you, know that God accompanies you. Whatever happens to you, God is with you.
Prayer
Holy and ineffable God, in moments of distress and despair, be with us. Put gladness in our hearts. Restore us. Let the light of your face shine on us. Amen.