The title says "A Psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom."

Let me refresh your memory about Absalom. Absalom wasn’t the kind of son who made his father proud. Of course, David made some pretty serious mistakes of his own, and there is evidence this took a toll on his children.

Absalom murdered his step brother Amnon in retaliation for sleeping with his sister Tamar. As a result Absalom fled to a foreign country. Eventually David let him come back home but banished him for a couple of years from his presence. Finally, the king and his son were reconciled after a fashion, but Absalom proceeded to steal the kingdom away from his father. Absalom was a most handsome young man, he stole the hearts of the people and conspired to steal the kingdom - and almost succeeded. He drove David out of Jerusalem and apparently would have killed him if necessary in order to become the king.

The inscription of this Psalm says that it was during this time that David wrote the words to this prayer.

1-4
David sees God as his shield and as the one who is able to "lift up his head" from weeping, grief and depression over a son gone bad.

5
It is God, morevover, who makes it possible for David to lie down and get a good night’s sleep under the most distressing of times - and wake again refreshed and ready to face the new day.

6-8
Psalms 3 and 4 are linked by a curious and interesting reference to the psalmist’s sleep at night. In both Psalms, he attributes his ability to sleep in trying times to the peace and security he finds only in God.

4:1
It is another time of distress, perhaps different from the occasion of the previous Psalm, but just as distressing.

2
People all around him, God’s people at that, are jumping ship and running for the tall grass. They are giving up on God, casting off all restraint and turning with reckless abandon to the false gods popular in their day.

3
David asserts his confidence in God.

4
He cautions his people against turning on God in their anger and giving up on him. Rather, he admonishes them to...

5-6a
People have gotten so discouraged and down on their luck, all they can see is the bad. David prays to God to...

6b
And he affirms that God has

7
"Why is everyone hungry for more?
"More, more," they say. "More, more."
I have God’s more-than-enough,
More joy in one ordinary day
Than they get in all their shopping sprees. (Peterson’s The Message)

David speaks of people who have turned to the gods of materialism and hedonism for their happiness and security (like so many of our own day) and concludes that he has much more joy than they - because a clean conscience before God provides peace and happiness to a far greater degree than money and things. The rich hollywood crowd proves it.

Then, David concludes with a beautiful reference to sleep similar to that in the previous Psalm.

8
Today, we see psychiatrists and we take sleeping pills in order to get a good night’s sleep. Mood altering drugs (alcohol is the favorite but by no means the only one) have taken the country as the solution to fear and depression. Roseanne Barr is interviewed and is quoted as saying something to the effect, "I love my medicine, my pills."

A quick disclaimer: Mood altering drugs and sleeping pills have their place, all right? Every situation must be judged on its merits. But David had the most ancient and universally available mood altering drug too - alcohol! Yet, he says, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

I had an interesting conversation with Marc. He says that when he dispenses these drugs - they are in great demand - he explains to the patient something to this effect: "I don’t think this is going to do you much good without the spiritual component, without turning your problems and life over to God and learning to give him the proper place."

Interesting he would say that. Listen to what Doc is saying. He is practicing the most ancient medicine, Biblical medicine, which says, "...fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." (Prov. 3:8) Was it Augustine who said, "They will not find rest till they find rest in thee"?

Can’t identify with David? Sooner or later you will. To everyone there comes times of great distress, great anxiety, sleepnessness - maybe it will be a marriage gone sour, a wayward child, a sickness, some other tragedy. Remember David’s prayer, David’s solution:

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."