Psalms 4:8
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Psalms 4:8 NIV
Good sleep is something that a lot of people are desiring, yet are not always getting it. It is common for people to toss and turn all night, or constantly be getting up for something throughout the night.
When morning comes they feel as if they had not slept at all and are not rested and ready for the new day.
To help combat this restless sleeping people will try many different things.
It is common for many to have a drink of alcohol in the evening before going to bed to begin to relax. Others take medicines, both over-the-counter and prescription, to help them sleep better at night.
The reason many cannot sleep is that they have things on their minds. They are worried about tomorrow, they are worried about what happened that day, they are trying to figure out what to do in a situation, and many other reasons.
The world only has the here and now and what they can individually do. Believers know that God is in control of every situation in their lives. Place all of your cares and worries into God’s hands. Trust that He is in control. Then when you go to sleep at night, you can rest assured that God is with you and will protect you.
Put all your trust in God and not the things of this world. This world will let you down and destroy you. God will build you up and give you life, eternal life.
Oh, what a great reminder. When we lie down to go to sleep, we realize we’re not ultimately in control. God ultimately is in control, and this is the key to sleeping in peace, to resting at night, amidst everything going on in our lives.
I want you to think about what happens when you lay down at night. You put your head on your pillow. And you think about the day, all that you did, all that you said, all that you saw. Maybe you consider the next day.
There’s so many things going on in our lives that we have to think about when we lay down at night. Sometimes we just want to stop thinking about it all. Sometimes our minds are just full of all these things. Then, sometimes with stress or worry or anxiety about this or that.
Isn’t that a great verse? To lay your head down on a pillow at night in peace, and to sleep in peace. So many times we’re restless in sleep with all the things going on in our lives, the things going on in the world around us, but God intends for us to lie down and sleep in peace, for He alone.
If our minds are fixed on all kinds of things in this world, we will be restless in our sleep. But when we fix our minds on Him alone and the safety He gives, the security, He is, you alone. You are safe in the arms of God, secure in the promises of God, and you are able to rest in the peace of God.
In other words, the Lord has your life in His hands. And this is peace giving. You think about it, sleep is a pretty humbling thing. One of my favorite quotes on sleep is from John Piper. He once said, “Sleep is a daily reminder from God that we are not God. Once a day, God sends us to bed like patients with a sickness. The sickness is a chronic tendency to think we are in control, and that our work is indispensable. To cure us of this disease, God turns us into helpless sacks of sand once a day.
I don’t obviously know everything that’s going on in your life right now, and I imagine there’s a lot of things when you lay down at night that you could be worried about, thinking about, anxious about. I just want to encourage you with Psalm 4:8. In peace you can both lie down and sleep, because the God of the universe holds your life in his hands. He alone can make you dwell in safety!!!
Father thank You for this day and for Your amazing grace to walk in it. Lord let Your abundant blessings be my friend and family’s portion today. Father we have scarce scratched the surface of Your grace and goodness toward us in that You sent Your only begotten Son to die on the Cross to pay the punishment that we so deserved. Lord sometimes our love is poor and weak, and our thoughts and prayers are too often motivated from selfish desires and a lack of understanding of Who You are and what You have done for us, please forgive us. Lord use us today to walk in forgiveness and redemption as we boldly proclaim Your saving grace to all today. Be a blessing. Love ya
Father, we love You. Amen !
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