Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.

Sleeping in Peace When Life Is in Pieces: Trusting God in Psalm 4 (Psalm 4)

• James Long

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Psalm 4 offers powerful wisdom for those who feel overwhelmed, betrayed, or restless in the dark of night. In this episode, James Long, Jr. explores how David moved from pressure and panic to peace and prayerful confidence—even when life was falling apart. This psalm teaches us how to process emotional pain, respond to slander, and rest in the presence of God.

Episode Highlights:

  • Psalm 4 as an evening prayer companion to Psalm 3's morning cry
  • David’s honest plea for help during betrayal and emotional distress
  • The rhythm of resilience: remember, rehearse, and re-ask
  • The power of anger rightly processed: reflection over reactivity
  • God’s presence as better than abundance or approval
  • Joy that is rooted in God’s covenant love, not changing circumstances
  • Peace that defies panic, anchored in the character of God

Reflection Questions:

  1. What situation in your life right now feels confining or emotionally suffocating?
  2. How do you tend to respond when you feel slandered or betrayed?
  3. What does it practically look like for you to "be angry and not sin"?
  4. Do you truly believe that God's presence is better than comfort or abundance? Why or why not?
  5. What helps you calm your heart at night—and how could Psalm 4 become part of your evening routine?
  6. Who in your life needs to be reminded that they are set apart and heard by God?

Closing Prayer:
Father, when the noise of life grows loud and my emotions rise, teach me to pause, reflect, and rest in Your presence. May Your face shine upon me and give me joy that calms my heart and peace that settles my soul.

Resources and Next Steps:

  • Join the free Navigator Level of the Lessons for Life Community: https://community.jameslongjr.org
  • Explore full membership and coaching options: https://jameslongjr.org/signupnow
  • Download devotionals, attend live meetups, and access biblical life training to grow emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.

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ABOUT JAMES AND LESSONS FOR LIFE

Are you longing to find answers to the deeper issues of life? Join Dr. James Long, Jr., a pastor, counselor, and university professor with over 30 years of experience. Hear James as he tackles some of life’s biggest questions and helps us find God’s solutions to life’s struggles. Learn the power of living by God’s grace and for His glory. Experience the joy of forgiveness and freedom found in Jesus Christ alone. If you are in search of freedom, you will love being part of this conversation. Subscribe, and enjoy the show!

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Counseling Through the Psalms with James Long Jr, a special series from Lessons for Life. I'm James, and in each episode we will journey into the rich, honest and healing language of the Psalms to find hope, clarity and comfort for life's deepest struggles. Whether you're wrestling with anxiety, grief, anger or spiritual dryness, the Psalms offer us a path towards restoration and peace through God's Word. So, wherever you are right now, take a deep breath and let's enter into the heart of Scripture together. Well, hello everyone. It's James Long and we are into Psalm number 4. The title we gave this is Sleeping in Peace when Life is in Pieces. If you do me a favor, grab your Bible I'll be using the ESV version of the scriptures and also grab a journal and a pen or a pencil so that you can jot some notes down. Psalm 4 teaches us how to process pressure, resist anger and also rest in God's peace. Even when life feels unstable, when the noise of life drowns out hope, the psalm guides us to a quiet confidence rooted in God's righteousness and presence, calling out in the dark a pattern for peace.

Speaker 1:

Psalm 4 opens with a bold prayer. It says in verse 1, answer me when I call, O, god of my righteousness. This is not a polished, polite request. It's a desperate cry in the night. David is under pressure. Most scholars believe that this psalm was written during the same season of betrayal that gave us Psalm 3, likely while David was fleeing from Absalom. Now, if Psalm 3 were a morning prayer, psalm 4 is an evening companion. Now we see the rawness of a man who has been deeply wounded and falsely accused. You have given me relief when I was in distress, he says, remembering God's past faithfulness, verse 1. The Hebrew word here for distress speaks of being hemmed in or confined. It evokes the feeling of suffocating under pressure, an emotional state familiar with anyone who's battling anxiety, shame or betrayal. Yet David doesn't let his emotional state dictate his theological view. Even in pain, he clings to the truth. God is righteous, god hears and God has helped before. And so he boldly asks again Now. This is the rhythm of spiritual resilience Remember, rehearse and re-ask. God invites us to speak plainly with him. He's not offended by urgent prayers. He actually honors them, speaking to the heart, the truth that confronts and comforts.

Speaker 1:

Now, in verses 2 through 5, david shifts from prayer to proclamation. He addresses those around him, likely those aligned with Absalom or others who have slandered his name. He says this in verse 2, o men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame Now? This is the language of betrayal. David feels the sting of public disgrace and personal rejection. Yet instead of retaliating, what does he do? He redirects, he reminds them and he reminds himself of something deeper.

Speaker 1:

Verse 3, but you know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself. The Lord hears when I call to him, when others assault your character or question your worth. Remember this your identity is not in their approval but in God's choice. You are set apart. You are heard. Now David offers some of the most practical emotional counsel in the entire Psalter.

Speaker 1:

Verse 4, be angry and do not sin. Ponder in your own hearts, on your beds, and be silent. This is incredibly powerful counsel. David acknowledges the legitimacy of anger, but warns of its danger. He encourages reflection before reaction. He encourages reflection before reaction. Counseling often involves helping people to pause, reflect and to reframe before they lash out. Psalm 4 does this with stunning clarity. Rather than fueling outrage, david directs his listeners towards stillness. Silence is not weakness, it's actually wisdom.

Speaker 1:

Verse 5 says offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord. The way forward is not revenge or public vindication. It's worship and trust. For anyone caught in relational tension or slander. This path may feel unnatural, but it's the only way to peace. Let God fight the battle. You bring the offering of your heart, the smile of God and the secret of joy.

Speaker 1:

It says in verse 6, many are saying who will show us some good In times of national upheaval or personal suffering? This is the cry of the crowd. It's the voice of cynicism and despair. David responds not with political plans or superficial optimism, but with prayer. He says this lift up the light of your face upon us, o Lord. This is an echo of the priestly blessing in Numbers, chapter 6, verses 24 to 26. The Lord, make his face to shine upon you. The favor of God, his smile, his nearness is the ultimate good. David is not asking for circumstantial relief, but he is asking for a relational presence. What we need most in a crisis is not quick solutions, but a steady assurance of God's gaze. Then comes the line that could sit on the counseling office wall, verse 7, you have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abounds. This is a joy that is not circumstantial but covenantal. It's a joy that doesn't rise and fall with headlines or bank accounts. It's a joy that the world cannot manufacture and the enemy cannot steal. It is internal, supernatural and rooted in God's goodness.

Speaker 1:

Sleeping while the storms rage. The psalm ends with what almost seems impossible. In verse 8, it says this In peace, I will both lie down and sleep for you alone, o Lord, make me dwell in safety. David is still on the run, his enemies still breathe threats, the nation is still fractured, yet he lies down in peace. This is not denial, it is defiance. It is a choice to trust God's character over circumstances. In biblical counseling we often help people make this move from striving to surrender, from self-reliance, to resting in God's sovereignty. The Hebrew word here for peace is shalom. It's not a mere absence of conflict, but it's the presence of completeness. David finds shalom not because his situation is resolved, but because his soul is settled. The storms outside does not shake the anchor within. This verse does not promise that every night will be easy or every fear will be erased, but it does promise that peace is possible even in the dark, because God is near In a world of noise and fear. Psalm 4 is a nighttime psalm for restless hearts.

Speaker 1:

Now let's think about the doctrinal insights that we see here. We see first God's righteousness In verse 1, our prayers are rooted not in our worthiness but in the righteousness of God. We also see divine election. We see in verse 3,. It says that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself, securing our identity and our worth. We see sanctified emotions here in verse 4. He says anger is acknowledged but it is regulated by truth and trust. We also see God's presence as the ultimate good. In verses 6-7, it says joy comes not from abundance but from the Lord's face shining upon us. And then, finally, we see not only God's righteousness and divine election and sanctified emotions and God's presence as the ultimate good, but we also see peace in God alone verse 8, because we see that true safety and rest are found in God's protective presence, not in circumstances. So let's make this theology practical.

Speaker 1:

Psalm 4 speaks directly into emotional health and spiritual formation. For the anxious and sleep-deprived, it offers a path to rest rooted in God's presence. For those of us that are angry or reactive, it teaches us reflection, silence and godly restraint. For those that are slandered or misunderstood, it re-centers identity in God's call, not man's opinion. For those of us that are disappointed. It reminds us that joy is not found in abundance, but in the assurance of God's smile. And for the counselor, it offers a model for truth-centered processing, honest emotions, theological grounding and practical redirection.

Speaker 1:

Now in ministry and in life. This psalm teaches us to move from venting to prayer, from reaction to worship. It helps us parent children by teaching them to bring their anger to God and their fears to Him, even in the night. And for the weary believer, it's a soft pillow made of truth. Now we'll turn to the reflect and respond section.

Speaker 1:

Now, as always, I hope you have your Bible with you when we do these devotionals, and I hope you have a Bible with you when we do these devotionals. And I hope you have a journal and a pen or a pencil so that you can write down some of the notes that you learned from our study and then also to answer these reflect and respond questions. Here's question number one what situation in your life is making you feel hemmed in right now? Question number two how do you usually respond to betrayal or slander? And also, how does Psalm 4 redirect your reactions? Question number three what does it mean for you to be angry and not sick. What would it look like practically? Question number four do you believe that God's smile, his presence, is greater than abundance? Why or why not? Question number five what practices help you experience peace before sleep and how might you include Psalm 4 in your evening routine? And question number six who around you needs to be reminded that they are set apart and heard by God? Now, as always, you can always stop the recording, answer those questions and then come back to them. I hope that is helpful to you.

Speaker 1:

Let's pray here. Father, you hear when I call you, hear my fears, my frustrations and the burdens that I carry in the night. Help me to pause, reflect and trust you rather than to lash out in anger and be consumed by shame. Shine the light of your face upon me. Give me joy that is deeper than the circumstances, and peace that calms my anxious heart. I lay down tonight, not in fear but in faith, my anxious heart. I lay down tonight, not in fear but in faith. Thank you for surrounding me with your presence. In Jesus' matchless, holy and powerful name, we pray Amen. So here's the call to action.

Speaker 1:

If you feel like peace is out of reach, especially at night, psalm 4 offers you more than just a technique. It offers you a person, and if you would like to learn more about us here, I would love it if you would consider joining our free navigator level at our Lessons for Life community. You can go to communityjameslongjrorg. You'll get devotionals, meetups and training that will help you walk by faith, or explore one of our full memberships at jameslongjrorg slash. Sign up now. You'll get deeper coaching content that is designed to help you grow emotionally, relationally and spiritually wise. The world offers noise. God offers you rest. Choose the better path. Be blessed everyone. Take care.

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James Long, Jr.

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