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In Peace I Will Lie Down and Sleep (Psalm 4) | Charles Simeon · Reformed Thinking

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  Welcome to Reformed Thinking. This is the show where we take
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  your sources, articles, notes, research and really dig into
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  them to pull out the core knowledge.
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  We try to give you a shortcut to being well informed, maybe with
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  a few surprising details and hopefully enough interest to
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  keep you listening. Yeah, and each deep dive is
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  custom made for one listener, helping you figure out what
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  really matters most in the material you sent us.
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  So today we're looking at material that tackles, well a
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  really timeless question What is genuine happiness and how do we
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  actually find it? Exactly.
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  Our sources today are drawing heavily from a classical
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  theological view, specifically Charles Simeon's commentary on
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  Psalm 4I. Think is a very solid
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  understanding of the godly life, what sin truly is, and the kind
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  of unmatched joy that's found in God's favor.
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  So our goal today is really to unpack these ideas, see how they
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  still apply to us, to everyone across all time, and show how a
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  relationship with God is presented here as the, well, the
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  ultimate fulfilment. That's right.
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  This material gives us a really coherent picture.
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  It starts with that universal human longing for good.
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  You know, Right? Then it distinguishes the people
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  who find that good in God. And finally it gets practical.
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  How does a believer actually live this out day-to-day?
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  We'll connect things like avoiding sin, honest self
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  reflection, doing our duties diligently.
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  Then placing complete trust in God.
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  These aren't just rules, the source argues, but they're paths
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  that lead straight to experiencing God's presence,
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  which is presented as the greatest good there is.
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  So the big question for you listening is what does all this
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  mean as you think about what truly satisfies your soul?
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  OK, let's start with that universal quest, Section 1.
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  Right. So it begins with this
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  fundamental question that just echoes through history.
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  Who will show us any good? And the sources make it clear
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  this isn't just some philosophical thought
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  experiment. No.
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  It's described as a natural universal desire, a constant
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  search for something solid, something where our minds can
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  finally rest and find the largest measure of satisfaction.
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  It's a basic human need, really, unlike God, who needs nothing
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  outside himself. We have to seek satisfaction
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  from an external source. And this search, it's not just
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  for a certain time in life, is it?
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  No, not at all, the material says.
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  It persists from infancy to youth, from youth to manhood,
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  from manhood to old age. It's always there, this
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  undercurrent. But here's the problem, right
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  The misdirection. Exactly because, as the sources
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  put it, our understanding can be blind, our will perverse, our
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  affections corrupt. People tend to seek this good in
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  the creature rather than in the creator.
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  They're definitely looking outside themselves, but, well,
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  often in completely the wrong direction.
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  And the sources paint such a vivid picture of all the
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  different wrong directions people take.
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  It's quite a list. It really is.
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  Let's run through some of them. You've got the merchant.
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  What are they after? Well, for them, it's the
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  acquisition of wealth through business.
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  Happiness is maybe a bigger bottom line, a successful deal,
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  financial security. Then there's the soldier.
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  Amidst all the dangers of war they're looking for.
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  What the laurels of victory, the acquisition of rank and the
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  applause of men. So glory, recognition,
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  promotion, that's they're good. How about the traveler searching
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  in foreign climes? Yeah, seeking an expansion of
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  mine, maybe. Elegant skills, wanting to be
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  admired in their social circle. It's about personal enrichment,
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  becoming more interesting, maybe more cultured.
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  Still focused on the self though.
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  Right. And the statesman?
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  For them, it's the possession of power, the exertion of
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  influence, and the success of his plans.
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  Happiness is in control, impact, seeing their vision realized.
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  Even philosophers get a mention. They imagine happiness is in
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  their diversified and laborious researches.
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  The pursuit of knowledge? Maybe intellectual prestige
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  still a worldly pursuit in this context?
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  And maybe surprisingly for some, devotees are mentioned too.
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  Yes, those pursuing it through cloistered seclusion in
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  religious contemplation and in the observance of ceremonies of
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  man's invention. This isn't about seeking God's
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  favor directly, but finding satisfaction and self-made
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  religious practices or isolation do.
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  You have the complete opposite, the voluptuaries.
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  Right seeking good through sensual gratification and in the
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  unrestrained indulgence of all his appetites, just chasing
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  immediate pleasure. The gamesters too, hoping for
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  that rush from successful hazard and from sudden gain that.
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  Thrill of winning the quick fix of money.
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  And finally, the miser. Their good is found in an
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  accumulation of riches, believing that possessing wealth
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  guarantees future security and supply.
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  Yeah, hoarding it, basically believing that pile of stuff
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  will satisfy all future wants. What's really striking, though,
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  is the paradox the sources point out.
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  Oh, absolutely. Even people doing obviously
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  destructive things, the sources mentioned.
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  Drunkards, robbers. They're still doing it under the
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  idea of good. They believe somehow that this
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  action will contribute to their happiness, given their view of
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  things. It's a really humbling thought.
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  It suggests that even our worst actions often stem from this
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  deep, innate desire for satisfaction, just tragically
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  misdirected. We're wired for good, but we get
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  so lost looking for it. So the inquiry itself, asking
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  who will show us any good then bad?
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  The sources say it's commendable and proper to be indulged.
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  We need guidance. We're not just run by instinct
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  like animals. Exactly.
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  We need wisdom, but the tragedy is, as the text says, the
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  generality Inquire rather of the ignorant than of the well
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  instructed, and follow their passions rather than their
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  reason. They asked the wrong people or
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  just follow their feelings. Right.
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  And the suggested remedy is straightforward.
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  If people would just consult the Holy Scriptures and take counsel
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  of their God, their views would be set right and their paths
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  directed towards peace. Which leads us perfectly into
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  the Believers response, Section 2.
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  Okay, so we've seen this restless, often misguided
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  search. What's the alternative?
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  Well, the sources present a complete contrast.
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  Believers, described as having enlightened minds and desires,
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  focus on the right thing. They don't ask the same
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  question. Instead, they offer a plea.
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  Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
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  And this isn't just an intellectual conclusion, is it?
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  No. The text says it comes from a
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  fixed and rooted principle in the heart.
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  Happiness is to be found in God alone.
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  Which leads them to view everything else differently.
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  They sort of despise in comparison all other objects
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  they affirm in my favor is life, and thy loving kindness is
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  better to me than life itself. So why is this divine favor
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  considered the best and greatest good?
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  The sources give several reasons.
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  Yeah, let's unpack those. 1st it's said that God's favor gives
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  a special zest to everything else good in life.
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  What does that mean exactly? Like earthly comforts, wealth,
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  honors, friends, family. They're described as very
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  contracted, kind of limited, without the light of God's
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  countenance lifted up. Right.
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  You could have everything the world values but still feel
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  something's missing. It's like seeing a beautiful
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  scene, but only in dim light. God's favor is the light that
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  makes everything truly vibrant. So it's not just more enjoyment,
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  but enjoying things differently with a deeper meaning.
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  Like David, who had power and dignity but found his real
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  happiness in God's presence. Exactly.
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  OK, second point. God's favor can actually supply
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  the place of all other good. This one's powerful.
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  Even if someone has nothing, no comforts, no health, no freedom,
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  no ease, they can still find all that his soul can desire in the
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  light of God's face. The example given is Paul and
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  Silas in prison, feet and stalks back, scourged yet singing hymns
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  at midnight. How?
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  Their sense of the divine presence, the sources say it
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  allowed them to rise above their terrible circumstances.
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  Yeah, it means even the poorest person can feel they possess
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  everything if they experience God's love in their heart.
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  It completely turns worldly values upside down.
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  OK, third, this divine favor paves the way to all other good.
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  Unlike earthly blessings that might come alone, God's favor is
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  said to bring along with it every other blessing that God
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  can bestow. And that includes practical
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  things too, right? Necessary earthly things are
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  added to those who seek first the Kingdom of God.
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  Right. And beyond that, spiritual
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  blessings like peace, joy, love, holiness, they all flow from
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  communion with God. It's like that phrase, all
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  things are yours if you are Christ's.
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  It's a complete package. 4th point God's favor never gets
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  old. It won't cloy.
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  Yeah, unlike earthly pleasures that can lead to boredom or even
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  disgust after a while, think of eating too much rich food.
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  The divine presence never causes weariness.
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  The sources contrast the rich person, who might find little
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  comfort in their abundance with the poor person content with
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  less. But the blessing of the Lord
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  makes rich and adds no sorrow with it.
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  Enjoying God's favor doesn't diminish over time.
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  Instead, our capacity to enjoy it actually grows.
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  It deepens. And the final point, maybe the
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  most significant, it will never end.
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  This is crucial. All earthly things, possessions,
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  pleasures, even intellectual achievements.
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  They're temporary. They soon come to an end.
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  We all know that. But God's favor, it will last
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  forever, and after death it will be enjoyed in its inconceivable
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  fullness. The promise is a fullness of joy
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  and pleasures forevermore in God's presence, so unlike
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  anything else we chase. This is a good without end, an
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  eternal satisfaction. So if that's the ultimate good,
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  who are the people who actually find it?
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  Section 3. Defining the godly.
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  Right. The sources make it clear godly
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  individuals are a distinct group God has set apart for himself.
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  And they stand in contrast to, well, an ungodly world that
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  often mocks religion. The text mentions Cain and
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  Ishmael as historical examples of this scorn.
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  But God, it assures us, has far other thoughts of those who
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  serve Him. He sees them differently.
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  So what characterizes these godly people?
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  First, the sources say they fear God.
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  And again, this isn't terror like a slaves, it's reverence Aw
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  unlike those who sin without shame, the godly can no longer
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  proceed in such an evil course. They humble themselves for past
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  sins and actively guard against offending him even in thought.
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  This awe, this respect that leads away from sin is key. 2nd
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  characteristic. They love God.
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  Their actions aren't just driven by fear, but by the spirit of
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  adoption, like a child loves a parent.
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  They genuinely delight to do their father's will and see
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  enjoying his favor is their height as happiness.
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  It's relational, affectionate. And third, they serve God.
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  Their faith isn't just internal feelings, it has to show.
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  They make it appear to the world that they are God's servants.
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  Even the ordinary everyday duties, work, family life are
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  done with a reference to Him, aiming for His glory.
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  Now this idea of God setting them apart for himself is really
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  interesting. It happens in two ways according
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  to the text. First, secretly and his eternal
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  purpose. God's love for them didn't start
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  after they became godly. No, their godliness is the
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  fruit, not the cause, of His love.
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  He loved them and chose them from eternity.
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  It highlights God's sovereign, unearned grace.
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  He chooses first. And the second way is open,
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  visible when he calls them by His grace through conversion.
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  Right. That's when God sets apart
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  sinners for Himself, enabling them to come out from the world
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  and dedicate themselves to Him. He makes their souls His home,
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  pours His love into their hearts, keeps them as living
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  examples of His power and grace. He treasures them.
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  And the result is they are invariably been made holy, and
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  God delights in their holiness. What's the significance of this
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  divine separation? Well, first, it's not some
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  debatable theory. God has always had his own
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  special people throughout history.
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  It's a consistent biblical. Theme and 2nd, it's not trivial.
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  This separation now is a pledge in earnest, like a down payment
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  of a future final separation at Judgement Day.
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  Exactly. God will complete then what He
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  started now, giving distinguished honor to the
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  godly. They will be His joy.
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  He will be their glory forever. It has has eternal weight.
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  So for the godly person, this should bring comfort.
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  Right, huge comfort. They shouldn't worry too much
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  about human contempt because they're loved by God, cared for,
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  secure. They should rejoice in this
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  honor and look forward to God's final plan.
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  But for the ungodly. It's a call to, well, feel some
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  shame. They're despising what God
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  loves. The warning is stark.
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  Hoping to be God's later if you're not His now, is futile.
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  The exhortation is direct. Set themselves apart for God if
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  they would have God set them apart for himself.
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  Learn to live like the righteous if you want to die like the
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  righteous. It's a serious call to turn
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  around. OK, that leads us into the
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  practicalities, Section 4. Living a godly life.
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  How does this look day-to-day? First exhortation.
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  Beware of sin. Stand in awe and sin not.
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  And that phrase stand in awe. The original word suggests a
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  powerful reaction like trembling.
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  Sin should provoke of extreme fear and dread in us.
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  We can't be too careful. Why such a strong reaction?
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  The sources spell out the gravity of sin.
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  Yeah, first, it's deformed everything nature, but
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  especially the human soul, made in God's image.
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  It's a distortion of the original design.
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  Second, think about the cost to fix it.
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  Atonement required the blood of God's Co equal Co eternal Son.
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  Nothing less could do it. The text says go look at Jesus
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  in Gethsemane and on the cross. Then tell me if sin isn't a
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  serious, formidable evil, that sacrifice shows its weight.
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  Third. Sin brings God's wrath and
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  terrible consequences, suffering we see all around.
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  Us and the sources make this chilling comparison.
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  Death in its most terrific shapes has no terror in
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  comparison of sin, just one real glimpse of sins.
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  True nature should convince us. So given that gravity, we need
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  to resist temptation fiercely. Absolutely don't listen to those
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  who downplay sin or say it has no consequences.
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  Don't give in because you fear mockery or hope for favor the.
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  Standard set is incredibly high. Be willing to choose death in
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  its most tremendous forms, rather than accept deliverance
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  on the condition of committing any willful transgression.
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  It's about seeing sin as the ultimate enemy, worse even than
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  dying. OK, second practical step.
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  Live in habits of daily self examination.
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  Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still.
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  Why is this so vital? Because we're often blind to our
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  own motives when we're acting self love.
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  Partial views that cloud our judgement.
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  We think we're doing right, but later realize it was shameful or
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  displeasing to God. We've all had that What was I
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  thinking moment looking back? Exactly.
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  And the sources give striking examples, even from apostles and
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  Saints. Paul, before conversion, truly
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  thought he ought to oppose Jesus.
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  Peter too, telling Jesus not to suffer, which Jesus called
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  satanic, or cutting off the servant's ear, thinking it was
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  zealous loyalty, right? Or later compromising with
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  Jewish believers about the law, thinking it was just being
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  considerate. James and John wanting to call
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  down fire in a village. They thought they were being
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  righteous, but Jesus said they didn't know what spirit they
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  were of. Even all the apostles
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  criticizing the woman anointing Jesus.
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  They thought they were being practical and caring for the
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  poor, but their hearts were wrong.
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  And Thomas demanding proof of the resurrection?
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  He probably saw himself as rational, not stubborn or
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  lacking faith like the others he thought were too credulous.
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  These examples really hit home, don't they?
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  They show how easily even sincere people can get it wrong
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  because of self blindness. Our intentions aren't enough.
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  So we need reflection. We need, as the text says, the
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  film removed from before our eyes.
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  We need to understand our real motives.
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  And the practice is straightforward.
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  At the end of each day, quietly and honestly review the events
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  and the dispositions we have exercised.
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  Look back at your actions and attitudes.
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  But not just on our own. No, we should also beg of odd to
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  search and try us and to show us anything sinful, mistaken or
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  lacking in our conduct. Ask for his perspective.
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  The goal being. To be humbled for the past and
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  be more observable servant of our duty for the future.
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  It's about continuous learning and realignment.
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  OK, third, practical exhortation.
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  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness.
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  This moves us from reflection to action.
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  Yes, it's a warning against becoming purely contemplative
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  and neglecting action. We need diligence in offering
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  these sacrifices of righteousness.
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  And under the Gospel, what does sacrifice mean here?
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  It means basically anything done for God offered to him through
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  Jesus. Everyday actions can become acts
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  of worship. But there's a starting point,
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  the first offering. Is our own heart presented to
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  God as a living sacrifice without giving ourselves first?
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  Nothing else is truly acceptable.
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  Once the heart is offered, then the scope widens to all sorts of
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  good works. Exactly.
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  It includes first the duties of the closet, private prayer and
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  devotion. Crucial Neglecting this leaves
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  us vulnerable. Then duties of 1's place and
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  station, our everyday roles in society and family.
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  Yeah, neglecting these responsibilities is called a
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  grievous sin that brings disgrace on faith.
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  The head of the family running their business properly, the
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  mistress managing the home, diligent, urgently, servants
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  working faithfully. It all matters.
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  What about public service? That's included, too, using
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  spare time for religious or benevolent work, but with a
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  caution. Don't neglect your primary
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  duties. Don't ignore your own vineyard.
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  And public worship. Also vital, gathering together
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  is described as an appointed means of honoring God and of
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  bringing His blessing. It's not optional.
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  So the overall principle is balance and diligence.
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  Right duties to God and neighbor performed harmoniously and
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  diligently, striving to abound in every good word and work as
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  we're able. Faith has to be active.
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  And the final exhortation ties it all together.
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  Put your trust in the Lord. Reliance on divine grace.
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  Whatever we do, however hard we try, ultimately we must put our
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  trust in the Lord. Our strength, our acceptance,
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  our reward. It all comes from His grace, His
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  mercy, His faithfulness. Because on our own.
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  Of ourselves we can do nothing. Our efforts to avoid sin or do
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  good are useless if God doesn't empower us by His Spirit.
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  We have to look to Him to work all our works in us.
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  All our power comes from Him. This sounds like it could lead
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  to passivity though. If we can do nothing, why try
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  ah? But the sources present it as
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  the source of true strength. To rely simply on God is the
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  only way of being really strong. Remember, Paul, when I am weak,
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  then I am strong. So the more we depend on him,
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  the more his strength works in our weakness.
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  Exactly. It's active dependence, not
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  passive resignation. We act, but we rely wholly on
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  His power to make our actions effective.
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  And this reliance extends to our standing before God too, doesn't
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  it? We have to renounce self
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  righteousness. Completely.
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  Our best services are exceedingly defective.
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  We can't hope in our own righteousness, which the text
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  calls filthy rags. Like Paul, we should want to be
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  found in Christ, having his righteousness through faith, not
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  our own acknowledging in the Lord have I righteousness and
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  strength, boasting only in Him. But does this mean our good
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  works don't matter at all? Not quite.
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  They don't earn salvation or replace Christ's work, but they
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  do follow us. They attest to our love for Him,
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  and God will acknowledge and reward them graciously.
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  The sources even say God would consider Himself unrighteous if
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  you forgot our works of love. He'll bring them forth on the
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  last day, applaud them and reward them.
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  So it's an encouragement to be diligent in all these duties,
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  reverence, vigilance, piety, trust, knowing that our efforts
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  to please God will be acknowledged and approved by
• 19:34
  Him. Our works are evidence, not the
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  basis of our salvation. Precisely.
• 19:39
  It's a motivation rooted in grace, not earning.
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  OK, finally, Section 5 brings it home by addressing different
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  groups of listeners first, those still chasing worldly happiness.
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  Yeah, a direct question for them.
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  Have they ever found that permanent satisfaction which
• 19:52
  they once hoped for? Has it actually worked?
• 19:55
  The answer, based on experience in Scripture like Solomon, is
• 19:58
  usually no. The creature is a broken
• 20:01
  cistern. All is vanity and vexation of
• 20:03
  spirit. So the challenge is, if that's
• 20:05
  true, why will you not go for all your comforts to The
• 20:08
  Fountainhead? Why keep spending energy on
• 20:10
  things that don't truly satisfy? It's an invitation.
• 20:14
  Listen carefully, eat you that which is good, and let your soul
• 20:17
  delight itself in fatness. Seek God's favor above all else.
• 20:21
  And the promise is unique, unlike worldly pursuits that
• 20:25
  often disappoint the man that looks to God and desires above
• 20:29
  all things, his favor shall never be disappointed of his
• 20:33
  hope. It's a guaranteed satisfaction.
• 20:36
  Then there's a word for those who are seeking their happiness
• 20:38
  in God. Yes, a challenge for them.
• 20:40
  If you profess that God is enough, the world is watching.
• 20:43
  They expect to see you living differently, like citizens of
• 20:46
  heaven. Like the Saints of old, like
• 20:48
  Jesus himself. Right, and the danger is
• 20:51
  inconsistency. If the world sees you still
• 20:54
  frantically asking, who will show me any good and chasing
• 20:57
  worldly vanities? They'll conclude religion is
• 21:00
  just talk, that it doesn't really satisfy any more than
• 21:03
  their own pursuits. Exactly so the exportation is
• 21:06
  strong. Oh, do not give reason for any
• 21:08
  such sentiment. Let your life show that having
• 21:10
  God is a good beyond measure, something the world can't
• 21:13
  diminish or augment. Your life needs to be a visible
• 21:16
  demonstration of God's sufficiency.
• 21:18
  That really sums it up. Wow, that's quite a picture
• 21:21
  we've painted today from that universal, often misdirected
• 21:24
  search for good. To the believers answer in God's
• 21:27
  favor and then these really practical steps for living a
• 21:30
  godly life of sin, self examination, righteous actions
• 21:35
  and trust. Yeah, this dive into Psalm 4,
• 21:38
  especially through Simeon's lens, it really does map out a
• 21:41
  path to, well, ultimate contentment.
• 21:44
  And that final point is quite striking, isn't it?
• 21:47
  How our everyday lives are meant to demonstrate to the world the
• 21:50
  sheer value of finding our all in God.
• 21:53
  It really makes you think, how does my life right now, today,
• 21:57
  actually show that God's favor offers something more lasting,
• 22:00
  more satisfying than anything else?
• 22:03
  Are we truly living like citizens of a better country?
• 22:06
  It brings all those principles together, revereing God,
• 22:09
  examining ourselves, doing our duty, resting on His grace.
• 22:12
  They're not just old ideas. No, they're a timeless
• 22:15
  invitation to a life of real freedom and joy, a joy that
• 22:19
  ideally isn't dictated by our circumstances.
• 22:21
  That's something worth pondering long after this deep dive ends.
• 22:24
  Definitely. Well, thank you for us for this
• 22:25
  deep dive on reformed thinking.