ODJ: Lie Down and Sleep

September 9, 2017 

READ: Psalm 4:1-8 

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe (v.8).

What keeps you awake at night? Lately, I’ve been losing sleep as I’ve worried about work. I worry about how to meet deadlines, respond to emails that could lead to soured relationships if not handled wisely, and more. I toss and turn on my bed, trying to work out various solutions in my mind. But the more I try to mentally solve the issues, the more sleep eludes. Eventually I begin fretting about not getting enough rest to handle the challenges of the next day!

Sound familiar? Perhaps your concerns aren’t work related. Troubled relationships, an uncertain future, whatever it is—we all give in to worry at one point or another. So what can we do to combat it?

King David was clearly in distress when he wrote Psalm 4. People were ruining his reputation with groundless accusations (v.2). And some were questioning his competency to rule (v.6). David probably felt angry for being treated so unfairly (v.4). Surely he could have spent nights stewing about it. Yet we read these remarkable words: “In peace I will lie down and sleep” (v.8).

Charles Spurgeon explains verse 8 beautifully: “There is something inexpressibly touching in this ‘lying down’ of the psalmist. In thus lying down, he voluntarily gave up any guardianship of himself; he resigned himself into the hands of another; he did so completely, for in the absence of all care, he slept; there was here a perfect trust.”

What inspired this trust? David was confident that God would answer his prayers (v.3). And he was sure that since God had chosen to love him, He would lovingly meet his needs.

May God help us to rest in His power and presence when worries threaten. As His children, we can confidently place our trust in Him.

—Poh Fang Chia

365-day-plan: Matthew 25:1-30