EGW WritingsPsalms 4

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Ms 144, 1897

12LtMs, Ms 144, 1897, par. 21

“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. ... But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. ... Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance on us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety.” [Psalm 4:1, 3-8.]

This Day With God

That Your Joy May Be Full, December 11

TDG 354.4

Our only safety is in being joined to the Lord Jesus Christ. We can afford to lose the friendship of worldly men. Those who join themselves to worldly men, that they may carry out their unsanctified purposes, make a fearful mistake; for they forfeit the favor and blessing of God. I am to urge upon the attention of our people that the Lord Himself has placed a wall of separation between the world and that which He has established on the earth. God’s people are to serve Him, for Christ has called them out of the world, and sanctified and refined them, that they may do His service.... There is no such thing as maintaining concord between the profane and the holy. There can be no concord between Christ and Belial. But “the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself” (Psalm 4:3). And this consecration to the Lord, this separation from the world, is plainly declared and positively enjoined in both the Old and the New Testaments.—Letter 329, December 11, 1905, to J. A. Burden, manager of the Loma Linda Sanitarium.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 20 (1905)

Lt 329, 1905

20LtMs, Lt 329, 1905, par. 11

There is no such thing as maintaining concord between the profane and the holy. There can be no concord between Christ and Belial. But “the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself.” [Psalm 4:3.] And this consecration to the Lord, this separation from the world, is plainly declared and positively enjoined in both the Old and the New Testaments.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 21 (1906)

Ms 125, 1906

21LtMs, Ms 125, 1906, par. 3

I thank my heavenly Father for the instruction that is given me: Repeat, repeat the truth with pen and with voice. Take up no quibbles, but the affirmation of truth. The world cannot discern the makeshifts of Satan’s devising to bring up controversy with jots and tittles of nothingness that bring the soul into perplexity. To avail anything that will meet the case and relieve the mind of the unbelief that was sown by speech and contemplation of things unworthy of a moment’s reflection, [we must present] truth, precious truth. Speak the truth. Pray the truth. The life of Christ is before us. We are His messengers and can express the truth in heart, mind, soul, and voice. Dwell not on matters of minor importance. Spend not time on jots and titles. Let all consider the statement: “Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call unto Him.” [Psalm 4:3.]

With God at Dawn

Commune with Thine Own Heart, July 18

WGD 201.1

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Psalm 4:4.

Lift Him Up

Clothed in Christ’s Righteousness, January 26

LHU 40.1

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. Psalm 4:5.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 8 (1893)

Lt 53, 1893

8LtMs, Lt 53, 1893, par. 8

“Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” [Revelation 3:4, 5.] You have now an opportunity to form a character for the future immortal life, but you have no time now to longer live to serve and please yourself. The time has come for you to chose whom you will serve. Eternal life is worth a lifelong, persevering, untiring effort. Although Jesus has paid the ransom money for your soul’s salvation, that precious soul will be lost unless you co-operate with God in the great work of saving your soul. Mary, dear sister, you are not pleasing God, but living under His displeasure. You look to human agents for help and pleasure and satisfaction, but you do not put your trust in God. You have the lesson to learn to wean your heart from all other confidences, clinging to Jesus in full faith that He can help you. You have need that Christ should reshape your character. You have lost the moral image of God. By beholding Jesus, looking unto Jesus, we become changed into His image. Self, dear self is made a center. You need not to seek for happiness in outward surroundings, but it is the inward adorning you need, inward grace which you have not now. When you are emptied of self, and seek and cleave [to] Jesus praying, “Lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us,” you will not seek for admiration from human beings. [Psalm 4:6.]

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 16 (1901)

Ms 111, 1901

16LtMs, Ms 111, 1901, par. 14

In the next chapter, the psalmist says: “There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” [Psalm 4:6-8.]

Radiant Religion

Gladness Drawn From God Can Never Fail, May 4

RRe 126.1

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

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 18 (1903)

Ms 130, 1903

18LtMs, Ms 130, 1903, par. 9

Happy are they who can lie down to rest, wearied with unselfish effort to bless and benefit suffering humanity. The weary, trusting toiler, after courageously doing his best, can go to his rest at peace with God, saying, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” [Psalm 4:8.]