Sleep

Yesterday I read Psalm 3, a Psalm I have read many times before. In those many previous readings, however, verse five has never jumped out at me with the force it held yesterday.

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:5

Psalm 3 was written late in King David's life. He had experienced many struggles and crises in his lifetime. But through it all he had also learned much about God, developing quite the solid relationship with his Lord. Despite his many mistakes and sins, he always returned in repentance, and God never failed to lavish His beloved child with forgiveness and restoration.

Even so, at this point in David's life, the situation was very grim. His son Absalom had built a following and sought to overthrow the kingdom, taking the throne for himself. Absalom had no qualms about forcing his father into battle to gain what he desired, even if it meant the king's death. David, on the other hand, could not bear the thought of losing another son, even one as rebellious and dangerous as Absalom.

David fled his home and his city, taking with him a large retinue of faithful followers. Here he stood, an old man with incredible family issues, his kingdom on the brink of collapse, and his own life in danger.

In the midst of it all, David penned the words of Psalm 3, including verse five. In the midst of it all, David slept.

How did you handle your last major crisis? If you're anything like me, you lost more than a little sleep, especially as the details unfolded. When we're buried in the struggle, we might lie down and try to rest, but it seems almost wrong to really allow ourselves the luxury of sleep as our world or the world of a loved one falls apart. Guilt might even set in at the very thought of desiring a solid, peaceful, restful night's sleep in the midst of the chaos.

David knew better. He chose to surrender his worries for the night, allowing himself the blessing of rest. The he awoke. The chaos remained, but he was able to face them with a renewed, rested mind that more readily trusted in the sustenance of Almighty God.

This morning I discovered that this was not an isolated choice. Unlike Psalm 3, Scripture does not record when Psalm 4 was penned, but it closes with a verse very similar to Psalm 3:5.

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

I cannot make the argument from these two Psalms alone that David made sleep a habit in the midst of every crises, but these verses indicate that it was more than just the exhaustion of an old man in this one instance. Lying down to sleep was David's conscious choice. Rest. Trust.

When I really analyze my life and my reactions to crises, I am ashamed to admit the truth about my sleepless nights. They are not nights of diligence. They are not nights of faithful prayer. They are not nights of standing in the gap for another. No, instead they are nights of worry-filled wakefulness. I fear that if I give in and sleep, that indicates I am not concerned. In truth it means I do not trust. And that, my friends, means that my restless nights are steeped in sin.

Our world provides enough crises and reasons for sleepless nights. God is bigger. David grasped that truth. My heart's desire is to do the same. May we all be able to lie down and sleep, knowing that our great God sustains us and makes us dwell in safety, just as He did David.