Psalm 4:6

Berean Standard Bible

Many ask, “Who can show us the good?” Shine the light of Your face upon us, O LORD.

King James Bible

There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

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This verse captures a poignant moment in the psalm where David shifts from a direct address to the ungodly and anxious, to a reflection on the cries and questions that echo in the hearts of many during troubled times. It is a verse marked by a tension between longing and doubt, between the desire for blessing and the struggle to perceive it.

The first clause, “There are many who say, ‘Who will show us some good?’” gives voice to a common human complaint: the cry for tangible goodness in the midst of hardship. This question is not simply a philosophical inquiry; it is a lament, a cry of disillusionment, possibly even cynicism. It reflects a yearning for visible, material signs of well-being—a good harvest, prosperity, peace, comfort—but also implies a frustration that such things seem distant or hidden. In times of societal unrest, injustice, or personal affliction, it is natural for people to question where goodness has gone. Here, the speaker channels the collective disillusionment of a people who feel abandoned by good fortune and perhaps by God Himself.

Yet there is a subtle spiritual undercurrent to the phrase. The question “Who will show us some good?” may also betray a misplaced trust. Rather than looking to God as the source of goodness, “many” are seeking for someone—anyone—who might bring it about by human means. It is a cry that perhaps expects goodness to be manufactured by leaders, wealth, power, or circumstance. It is a worldly question, one rooted in the desire for comfort without necessarily seeking the God who gives it. There is desperation in the tone, but also a kind of blindness, a failure to see that the goodness they seek is found not in temporal conditions but in the favor and presence of God.

The second clause, “Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” is a profound and deliberate contrast to the first. While “many” are asking for good in general, the psalmist models a prayer rooted in covenant language and deep theological awareness. This phrase echoes the priestly blessing of Numbers 6, where God’s people are told, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.” To ask for God’s face to shine is to ask for His favor, His presence, His approval, His nearness. It is a recognition that true goodness is not merely a change of external conditions, but the experience of God’s relational blessing. When God lifts the light of His face upon a person, it signifies divine attentiveness and grace—it is a metaphor for being seen, known, and loved by the Creator.

In juxtaposing the question of the many with the prayer of the psalmist, the verse teaches an important spiritual distinction. It reveals that while the world chases after “good” defined by comfort, success, and material blessing, the person of faith redefines good as communion with God Himself. This is the mark of maturity in the life of a believer: to understand that God's presence is the highest good. Even if circumstances remain hard, to live under the light of God's face is to possess a joy and peace that surpasses understanding.

The verse also reflects a call to shift the center of our hope. It is easy to join the chorus of the many and ask, “Who will fix this? Who will make things better?” That cry is understandable but misplaced if it does not direct itself ultimately to the Lord. David redirects that longing by praying, “Lord, let it be You.” It is a prayer not for God to merely give something, but for God to be present in His glory and grace. This is worship—when the soul desires not just the gifts of God, but the Giver Himself.

Moreover, the contrast in this verse introduces a subtle critique of unbelief. The many who question whether good will ever come are spiritually distant; they are perhaps impatient, perhaps bitter, perhaps consumed by the appearance of evil and the delay of justice. David does not ignore their voice—he gives it space in the psalm—but he answers it not with debate but with prayer. He lifts his eyes higher, and teaches us that the remedy to spiritual despair is not argument, but a turning toward the radiance of God’s face.

This longing for the light of God’s face also points us forward in redemptive history. In the person of Christ, we are given the fullest revelation of the light of God’s glory. Jesus is described as the radiance of God’s glory, the light that shines in the darkness. In Him, God’s face is lifted toward humanity not in wrath, but in grace. Thus, when we pray this verse as New Testament believers, we pray with eyes fixed on Christ, asking that the light of His presence would dispel our doubts, our disillusionment, and our darkness.

In the end, Psalm 4:6 is more than a record of voices; it is a turning point. It distinguishes the way of the many from the way of the faithful. It invites us to exchange vague longing for divine intimacy, to redefine our understanding of good, and to lift our eyes not toward earthly deliverers, but toward the shining face of the Lord. It is a prayer that pierces through cynicism with hope and teaches us that the deepest good is not what we possess, but who possesses us.

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To the beloved of God in every place, those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I write to you with affection and concern, with hope stirred by the promises of our God and with longing that your hearts may be rooted and grounded in Him, unmoved by the shifting shadows of this present world. For the times in which we live are not unlike those of old—full of questions, full of longing, full of men and women asking, “Who will show us some good?” And yet, amid this clamor of voices, the Spirit beckons us to a different cry: “Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O Lord!”

Many are asking, as they always have, where goodness is to be found. You have heard the question, and perhaps you have asked it yourself: Who will bring peace to this world? Who will mend what is broken? Who will satisfy the desires of our hearts? Some seek good in wealth, some in power, some in human wisdom, some in pleasure, some in the empty affirmations of the world. They search high and low, hoping that someone or something will give them the security, the happiness, the fulfillment their souls crave. But their eyes remain darkened, and their hands return empty, because they do not seek the one good that is eternal—God Himself.

Let us not join their lament in vain. For while the world wanders in search of what is fleeting, we have been given something infinitely greater—the shining of God’s face upon His people. This is the true good, the ancient blessing, the unchanging promise: that God would look upon His people with favor, that His countenance would rest upon us, that His presence would be our light even in the darkest hour. The question is not whether good exists, but whether we have eyes to see that the greatest good is not in things, but in the nearness of the Lord.

Therefore, I exhort you, beloved, do not define “good” according to the world’s standards. Do not measure God’s favor by your comfort, your possessions, or your outward success. For the world counts good as whatever pleases the senses and flatters the flesh. But the goodness of the Lord is of a different nature—deep, eternal, soul-satisfying. It is not always seen in outward ease, but it is always present in inward peace. The good that God gives is His own self—His presence, His Word, His Spirit, His covenant love.

It is written that in His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. Do you believe this? Have you learned to seek His face above all else? For to cry, “Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O Lord!” is not merely a poetic expression—it is the cry of the heart that has tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and now desires nothing more than to live under His gaze. It is the cry of those who know that the favor of man is fleeting, but the favor of God endures forever. It is the cry of trust, not complaint. It is the prayer of faith in a world that stumbles through the dark.

I urge you, therefore, to cultivate this holy desire. When you are tempted to despair, when you feel the weight of the world’s confusion pressing upon you, do not give way to cynicism. Let your soul cry out instead for the light of His face. When you cannot see the good around you, trust that it is found above you, shining from the throne of grace. And when you are surrounded by those who ask in unbelief, “Who will show us some good?” do not rebuke them harshly, but show them the source of all goodness by your own peace, your own joy, your own hope in God. Let the radiance of His presence in you be a quiet answer to their restless cries.

Remember, brothers and sisters, the light of God’s face is not a distant reality for the righteous—it is our inheritance in Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the light of the world, and the One through whom we behold the glory of the Father. In Him, the face of God shines not in wrath, but in mercy. Through Him, the veil has been torn, and we have access to the throne of grace with confidence. And by the Spirit, this light does not merely rest upon us—it dwells within us, transforming us from one degree of glory to another. This is the good that will never fade.

So let your hearts be anchored not in the promises of this world, but in the unshakable goodness of our God. Let your prayer be the same in prosperity and in trial: “Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O Lord!” For when His face shines upon you, no darkness can overcome you. When He looks upon you with favor, you are rich even in poverty, strong even in weakness, and filled even when the world has nothing to offer.

May the Lord Himself teach us to hunger for His presence more than for His gifts, and to desire His smile more than any earthly approval. And may our lives be a living witness to this truth: that the greatest good we can ever know is to walk in the light of His face, now and forevermore.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Stand firm in the light, beloved. The day is far spent, and the night is nearly gone. Let your hearts remain awake, and your eyes fixed on Him who is the source of all goodness.

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O Most High God, Fountain of all light and Giver of every good and perfect gift, we lift our hearts to You in holy reverence and longing. You who dwell in unapproachable glory, and yet who have made Your face to shine upon Your people, incline Your ear to our prayer. We come not in presumption but in the name of Jesus, our Mediator and our Light, through whom we behold the brightness of Your glory and the radiance of Your grace.

Lord, our souls live in a world darkened by confusion, restlessness, and endless striving. Everywhere we hear the cry, “Who will show us some good?”—a cry that rises not only from the lips of the wicked but also from the hearts of the weary, the perplexed, the poor in spirit, even among Your own people. We confess, Lord, that we too have echoed that cry. We have searched for good in fleeting things. We have looked to men for deliverance, to circumstances for peace, to comforts for joy. We have turned our eyes downward when You have called us to look upward. Forgive us, O Lord, for seeking light in places where there is no sunrise, and for doubting Your goodness when the way has been dim.

Yet, O God, in this hour of honest confession, we do not hide our faces in shame—we lift them to You. For You are the God who does not leave His children in darkness. You are the One who said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. You are the One who lifts up the light of Your face upon us and calls us into the joy of Your presence. And so we pray, with all our hearts, “Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O Lord!” Not the light of worldly ease, not the glow of temporary pleasure, but the light of Your favor, the warmth of Your nearness, the shining of Your covenant love.

Let that light be to us more than the light of the sun, more precious than gold, more satisfying than all earthly treasures. Let it break through our fears, scatter our doubts, and awaken holy desire. Let it illuminate the hidden places in our souls, that sin may be exposed and grace may abound. Let it drive away every shadow of despair and rekindle the fire of hope. Lord, we do not ask for signs and wonders apart from You—we ask for You. We ask for the light of Your face, because in Your face we find all that is good, all that is true, all that is everlasting.

Teach us, O Lord, to measure goodness not by our prosperity, but by Your presence. Help us to see that the lifting of Your face is the essence of all blessing. Let us be a people who do not crave what the world craves, but who long for the light that shines from Your throne. May we be content in sorrow if You are near, and discontent in comfort if we have wandered from You. Let our joy be rooted not in abundance but in access—access to Your heart, access through the blood of Jesus, access by the Spirit who cries within us, “Abba, Father.”

We pray also for the many who still cry without understanding, “Who will show us some good?” Lord, open their eyes. Let the light of Your face that has shone upon us also shine upon them. Let the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ shine into their hearts and awaken them to grace. May our lives, transformed by Your favor, be beacons of that light in the darkness. Let us not only reflect Your radiance but proclaim it with humility and courage, inviting the weary and the lost to look to the One in whom all goodness dwells.

And when trials come, when the night grows long, when our vision grows dim, let this prayer rise again from the depths of our being: “Lift up the light of Your face upon us, O Lord.” And may You, who are faithful and unchanging, answer us with the joy of Your presence and the peace that passes understanding.

So we offer ourselves to You again—our doubts, our desires, our days. Light of the world, shine upon us. Father of lights, smile upon Your children. Spirit of truth, illuminate the way. And may we, having looked into the light of Your face, never settle for anything less.

In the name of Jesus Christ, the Light of the nations and the glory of His people, we pray. Amen.