Who Is Your God? (Psalm 4:8)

Article

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety Pslam 4:8.


In a Prayer Closet article written earlier, I told the story of a night years ago that I spent in a hotel while someone tried to break into my room. Through it God taught me how to pray his Word. Praying the Word of God. There is more to that story I’d like to share with you now regarding his insights to me from Psalm 4:8.

As I stood at the hotel door in panic with someone trying to work a key on the other side, a multitude of thoughts flooded my mind. The overriding one was a sense that I was alone. Yes, of course. I was on a business trip and no one else from the company was with me. But I mean really alone. The whole reason I was working at this company was because my marriage had broken apart; my husband was gone and I had to go back to work to support myself and my daughters.

When a traumatic event occurs we usually want to call someone close to us for emotional support even when that person can’t do a thing about it. I had no one to call. My mind immediately went to my husband. But he was no longer there for me. That was actually a good thing because if I could have called him I would have missed it. The Lord was teaching me more than how to pray the Word of God; he was revealing to me who my god was.

I could feel anger flash through me as I realized I could not call my husband. I asked myself why I felt anger but almost as quickly I knew why. All through our marriage my husband had been my god. I had given him the place that only properly belongs to the one true God and I had eventually reaped terrible consequences. Any god other than Almighty God will eventually disappoint you; all other gods will crash and burn sooner or later.

As I relayed in the other story, I went to the phone and called the front desk and then opened my Bible while waiting for hotel security to arrive. I read the first thing my eyes fell on which was Psalm 4:8. The words; “You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety”stood out like neon. You alone. You alone. Not the hotel security, not a lock on the door, not a husband. Nothing and no one except God could make me safe. As that realization sank deeper and deeper into my spirit, I prayed God’s Word back to him with more and more confidence.

God was teaching me a valuable lesson, one that I have had to return to at various junctures in my life over the years. A fatal flaw in my heart was exposed by a gracious God. Left undetected that flaw could hold me back from the fullness of life. Jesus said; “I have come that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10). I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find out that I could have had more. Do you agree? I want all of life that I can possible get and I’m sure you feel the same.

Who is your god?

Is it a spouse or a child? Is it a bank account, a 401K, an inheritance? What makes you feel secure? Where do you go running for safety? Is it your house that you love and where you feel secure? Is it a relationship that you depend on to be your source of happiness and joy? The Lord gives us many blessings in our lifetime and it is good to enjoy and be thankful for all of them but it is he alone who must be our God. He is our true source; every provision comes from him. If you have any other gods in your life right now put them aside, repent before the Lord and start worshiping and serving the only true God.

I can guarantee to you that He alone makes you dwell in safety!

Bible scripture insights

0 Comments