Again, this prayer is to the "chief Musician" which is to say, Jesus Christ. "Neginoth" in the Hebrew means "smitings"; from "nagan", "To strike as on a string". So this is saying, He who has the victory on smitings. This song was sung by David.

Psalms 4:1 "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer."

David is thanking God for enlarging him in influence, even when he was in distress. God will protect you when you are in trouble. Think back to the time when David entered into the camp of the army of Israel. The war with the Philistines was going on, and David watched as his brothers and the rest of the soldiers stood in fear as Goliath strutted before them each day. David took a stand, and in the name of the Lord God of Israel, selected his five stone, and that distress ended. From that moment, God took David and used him to lead His people. Now in the latter years of his life, his own son Absalom sought to kill him and take David's throne, and David was on the run. David took what he could in haste, and those from the court, and with his own people mocking him has he went, headed east for protection and to save his life. David know that God will have mercy upon him, and that when he calls out to the Lord, those prayers will be heard. David know exactly where his righteousness comes from, for it comes from YHVH our heavenly Father.

Psalms 4:2 "O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah."

The sons of men are turning God's glory into idol worship, and David is asking; how long are you going to allow this to happen? In our generation that shame will come down to worshipping the "instead of Jesus", the false Christ and it will be done in ignorance. How long are our people going to love this emptiness? "Leasing" as used here is "lies"; how long are you going to listen to this emptiness and believer those lies? You actually love to listen to their lies, and seek after following after them. When you listen to man's traditions that does not come from God's Word, you are listening to misguided children telling tales in ignorance. That is no excuse for listening and following them.

Now here again we have the word "Selah". It is used here to stop and think; it is used in contrasting and connecting David's enemies' acts with his own sure defense against Absalom and his army.

Psalms 4:3 "But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself: The Lord will hear when I call unto Him."

God has set apart those that are redeemed in Him for Himself. God has set you aside for Himself, and that is the purpose of redeeming you. Did you get that; "The Lord will hear when I call unto Him." That is a promise for each of us, that when we call upon the Lord, He will listen and hear our petition. You can count on that my friend, but the answer will come in His season. But wisdom is having the faith to wait on the Lord and know that it will be in His Will and to His good pleasure. When you pray, God will hear you. If there is any doubt in your mind as to whether God has heard your prayer, than you still have a ways to go. You are immature as a Christian. This is David's defense, and it is yours also, from the "Selah" of verse 2, which is that God hears you when you pray.

Psalms 4:4 "Stand in awe, and sin not: Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah."

Now here in verse four we have another "Selah", and it is time again to pause and pay attention to what is being said. This Selah is connecting their sin with its being put away. The point to remember is that we are taking two different subjects and ideas and trying to like the two together, because both must be understood to see what our Lord is trying to tell us. So now we will see how their sins is being put away.

Psalms 4:5 "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the Lord."

When our Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross, he paid the price to fulfill the need for blood sacrifices or our righteousness. Our sacrifices now comes through our faith and repentance in Jesus name, and they we take on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. You put your sin away by putting your trust in the Lord. You can put that trust there because you know that God hears you. Trust strengthens patience. When we offer our prayers to Father we know that each of them are heard.

Before the first angel even sounded His first trump, we are told in Revelation 8:3-6 just how important our prayers are to Father.

Revelation 8:3 "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayer so of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the Throne."

Remember we are living today in the time of the fifth trump, and the angels holding the seven trumps are held back from sounding their trumps until this sealing of the prayers of the saints are offered on the golden alter, which is right there in heaven before the throne of God. You are one of Father's children, and He cares what His children have to say.

Revelation 8:4 "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand."

Revelation 8:5 "And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake."

Revelation 8:6 "And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Though many around us today, just as in David's day could not see us any good them; David knew, just as you and I know that our Lord will lift up the light of His countenance upon us when we call out to him, and He will grant us his peace. When you call out to Father, He hears you, he sees you and understands your needs when you don't. When you put your trust in Him, you are making the only sacrifices that He desires. Each time we follow His Word and do the right thing, we are offering sacrifices of righteousness to Him. When God blesses you, than give those blessing right back to Him and He will increase those blessings even more, and this is not talking about money. If God gives you a talent or gift such as singing, teaching, playing sports, praying or what ever that gift is, who gets the credit for what you do, do you take the credit or do you give it to Father. You can count of Him.

Psalms 4:6 "There be many say, "Who will shew us any good?" Lord, lift Thou up the light of Thy countenance upon us."

You have these doubters in every generation, even more so today that ask; "Who will show us any good? Where is it going to come from?" David then asks of the Father, Lord prove them wrong, and lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. Take the words of those sinners and doubters and prove them wrong. All of them, the Kenites, the false teachers and preachers that follow after traditions and prove them wrong. My friend, the time is coming shortly where each of them will be proven wrong, and all will see the truth of Father's Word.

Psalms 4:7 "Thou hast put gladness in my heart, More than in the time that their corn and their wine increased."

The truth of the light of God's Word brings that gladness in to my heart and mind. Though today it seems like the sinners have the biggest and the best of everything, the largest fields, the bigger crops and everything else that this world can offer, But the truth of God's Word means more to a child of God than all the wealth that anyone could accumulate in this world age. There is simply no comparison between the wealth of this world and the blessings and peace that Father gives us through the true knowledge from His Word from His Holy Spirit.

Psalms 4:8 "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: For Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." [To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth.]

When you know that Father hears your every prayer and thought, can you lay down and rest in peace in your sleep. You put off the last Selah when you put your trust in the Lord. When you have asked the Lord for protection and guidance, you trust Father enough to know that He will. You take those burdens to the Lord, and you leave them there. That is how you put off the last Selah spoken of here. Jesus addressed you and I and His promises to us in Matthew 11:27-30. Lets review that promise Jesus gave to each of us.

Matthew 11:27 "All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him."

If you understand this verse it is only because God has revealed it through His Spirit. Once you understand that the price is paid, and you have an advocate at the very throne of God, why would you want to carry around all your problems.

Matthew 11:28 "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, And I will give you rest."

Do you have a burden that seems just to heavy to handle? Is it throwing you to the point worry and sleepless nights? Jesus is asking you softly; "Come to me with that burden, And I will give you rest from it." I will give you peace of mind.

Matthew 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

A yoke has only one purpose, and that is to make the pull easier on the weakest of the two animals. When you put on Christ's yoke, then you pull that which is possible for you to pull, and rest assured that our Lord will do the rest. The purpose that our Lord wants you to take up His yoke, is so you can find rest in your soul, peace of mind. You are the one that must take up the yoke and want it, and then he will see to it that those sharp edges are reduced to where you can handle them.

Matthew 11:30 "For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

You take that yoke when you put your trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. Sure we pray to the Father, but our credentials to approach the throne of our Father is in the name of Jesus. Jesus paid the price, He did the suffering and took the stripes so that our burden could be made easy and light.


To the chief Musician, upon Neginoth