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)
