I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
Sleepless nights lately? Worried about job or school or family? Fretting about providing enough food for the table, meeting high mortgage payments, paying for those college educations, setting aside enough savings for retirement? Stewing about people who unfairly criticize you and seem to prosper despite their disregard of God’s Commands?
The psalmist suggests: “Lie down and sleep in peace.” For God alone makes us “dwell in safety.” Aware of unfair treatment by others, prone to anger and resentment, sometimes depressed by worry, the psalmist nevertheless discovers a peaceful rest in the sure protection and promises of God.
Sleepless nights may call for confession of sins – doubts, self-pity, resentments, bitterness, misguided reliance on self. Confession leads to God’s peace and God’s rest, for the Obedient One, who slept in a boat amidst a storm, also went to the sleep of death in order to win the victory and bring lasting peace.
As He woke from death, victorious over His enemies, so we wake, refreshed each day, from peaceful sleep in His protection, ready for a life of service until we awake in heaven to serve Him forevermore.
Problems remain. Worries abound. Evil appears to triumph. Long nights and tired eyes remain. Tranquilizers fall short. Counting sheep gets old. But sleep beckons for the child of God – safe, forgiven, sustained, refreshed, quiet and at rest, trusting in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER: O Lord, give me restful and peaceful sleep. May I awaken refreshed and ready to serve You. Amen.
(Devotions from “My Daily Devotion” by Dr. Stephen J. Carter, copyright 1988, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. For ordering information, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Job 8-10 Matthew 9:1-17
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