Rest in Peace ~ Psalm 4

I will both lay me down in peace,
and sleep:
for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8

David was running for his life when he wrote this psalm. How could he even think about sleeping at a time like that? It’s simple. He trusted in the God who never sleeps, the God who loved and cared for him, the God who had a plan for him. A child frightened by a nighttime storm will fall asleep immediately when his parent sits close beside him; even so David rested in the presence of the Father. Knowing God was near to protect him gave David peace to lie down and sleep, getting the rest his body so desperately needed.

You and I can have that same peace. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to bed quoting this verse and claiming the Lord’s protection over me. No, my life has never been in jeopardy. Usually the thing that threatens to keep me awake at night is some physical, material, emotional, or social difficulty. Always it is too big for me, so I choose to let God handle it while I sleep.

I lie down in peace
releasing all cares to God
who works while I sleep
to accomplish His good will
and mold me in His likeness

6 thoughts on “Rest in Peace ~ Psalm 4”

Hi! There’s another verse like this one. It’s Psalm 3:5 and it’s also credited to David. And yes, I’ve used them as my calming mechanism many times when I couldn’t sleep for worry, like when robbers we’re terrorizing our neighbourhood. The Lord is indeed our refuge.

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