Try as we might—tossing, turning, fluffing the pillow, pounding the
pillow—sometimes we just can’t fall asleep. After offering some good
suggestions on how to get a better night’s sleep, a news article concluded that
there really is no “right way” to sleep.
There are numerous reasons why sleep eludes us, many of which we can’t
do much about. But sometimes unwanted wakefulness is caused by anxious
thoughts, worry, or guilt. It’s then that the example of David in Psalm 4 can
help. He called out to God, asking for mercy and for God to hear his prayer
(v.1). He also reminded himself that the Lord does hear him
when he calls on Him (v.3). David encourages us: “Meditate within your heart on
your bed, and be still” (v.4). Focusing our minds on the goodness, mercy, and
love of God for His world, our loved ones, and ourselves can aid us in trusting
the Lord (v.5).
The Lord desires to help us set aside our worries about finding solutions to our problems and place our trust in Him to work things out. He can “put gladness” in our hearts (v.7), so that we might “lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make [us] dwell in safety” (v.8).
Even when we cannot sleep, God can give us rest. (RBC)
