A Recipe For Sleep
Psalms For The Bride
Psalm 4
Are you having a tough time sleeping, or getting to sleep? Have you been experiencing those nights when no matter how may sheep you count, sleep just won’t come? How about not being able to shut out the events of the day and turn off all that residual noise? I’ve been there far too many times. That’s where we find David in this Psalm, but he isn’t worried because he has the recipe for sleep.
Ps 4:1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
There are two very clear parts of his recipe revealed in the first verse. David knows that no matter what situation he finds himself in or what circumstances surround him, his first action is to call out to God; answer me when I call. The King James says “hear me.” And David is specific in just who he wants to respond; the God of “his” righteousness.
The word righteousness (tsedeq) implies “relationship.” God is righteous in that He keeps His covenant with His people; He fulfils all of His promises. We can call out in the same way to Jesus—our righteousness—because He has completely fulfilled the Law in perfect obedience to the Father (Matt 5:17; Rom 10:3-4). I don’t think there is anyone who has put this in better perspective than Paul:
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
God hears us when we call out because, as the bride of Christ, we are covered by His righteousness. And like David, we know we can depend upon Him to provide “relief” in our situation because He has in the past when we were in “distress;” pressed into a corner, in a tight spot. David reminded God that He had delivered him many times in the past and he knew that God was able to deliver him again.
That’s the power of our prayer—our memories of God’s past faithfulness on our behalf. That’s why Satan makes every attempt to cloud our memories with our current problems.
Ps 4:2-3 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah 3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.
In the midst of our world where man spends a lifetime glorifying himself with the latest in technology, designer clothing, movies, awards, etc. God still asks the same question He has been asking since the beginning: how long will my honor be turned into shame? And David’s response is immediate. “But!” He knows that he has been set apart from those who love and idolize the world and all that it contains. He belongs to God and that alone means that He can address Him in confidence, confidence that he will be heard. And that leads him to the key ingredients of his recipe.
Ps 4:4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
There is nothing that will rob you of peaceful sleep faster than anger. Holding that anger in and not dealing with it is a detrimental as lashing out against it. We need to express it to the Lord but when we do; we need to let it go. Paul said the same thing in his letter to the Christians at Ephesus:
Eph 4:26-27 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.
As important as it is to address our anger, by the same token we can’t hang onto it because in doing so we give the enemy an opening to come in and stir up that anger. If we give him an inch we can expect it will wind up being the proverbial mile before he’s done. And in the process we pay the price for a restless night.
So what are we supposed to do? Just releasing it to God is the first step.
David tells us to “ponder” or “meditate” on the Lord and His righteousness, leaving the cares of this world to Him. To meditate is the verb āmar, which carries the meaning to “consider” or “reflect.” We need to think very carefully about how we are to handle anger. And that anger can be of the least consequence in the scheme of things, but it can move to center stage when we fail to release it and let the enemy run with the ball.
And once we have released it the next step is to turn away from it and “be still.” Listen to what the Lord has to say about it. Many times He will show us a pathway through our anger that will bring us out the other side into His peace. We need to stop talking about what has angered us and listen for that still small voice that can so easily be overridden by our emotions. And when we have His peace?
Ps 4:5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
I like the King James better here as it says, Offer the sacrifices of righteousness. Offer in the Hebrew (zabach) is the word for ritual sacrifice; to kill a righteous animal. We need to kill our anger with our sacrifice of joy (Ps 27:6). We have His Word that He will hear our prayer and answer us, and we always need to follow His Word with our worship.
Our confidence is that the Lord hears us and we can trust in Him. And the road that leads to that trust needs to be cleared of our anger as we “silently” listen for His voice. Then we can lock away that anger with our praise and worship; rejoicing in His promises.
There we have a perfect recipe for a good night’s sleep.
Maybe it’s not anger, perhaps its fear or worry. Perhaps it’s an answer you need for a decision facing you. It really doesn’t matter. The recipe works just the same.
· One cup of what’s on our mind
· Tipped over and released to the Lord
· Silently stir the issue until He has brought forth His Peace
· Then cover the whole matter with praise and worship for His faithfulness
And what did David get?
Ps 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
David received the peace (shalowm; his happiness) he needed. Out of the assurance that God heard his prayer and out of his devotion and worship he now has peace in his heart. But there were still two things he needed to do.
First was to “lie down.” That means letting it all go and trusting God. And to seal that action he is to surrender himself to sleep; the sleep that can only come because David is dwelling in God’s security. This Psalm is a great way for us to prepare for sleep every night. It is a perfect prescription for peace.
But Tom, there really isn’t anything on my mind, I’m not angry or in fear. I just can’t sleep!
Let me suggest that statement isn’t true. It’s pretty hard to lie in bed without sleeping and have a completely empty mind. Let me pass along a practical lesson the Lord taught me a long time ago—which I forget sometimes—that will go a long way to helping you get to sleep and stay asleep.
Just ask yourself a simple question—what am I focused on before I turn out the light?
If the answer isn’t the Word of God then you’ve got a problem. The evening news is certain to set your subconscious into a tailspin. What movie did you just watch, what TV program or what book did you just put down? Have you had a disagreement with someone in your family? We can’t afford to take any of that to bed with us. Without exception our mind is going to feed on the last food we gave it. And I can guarantee you that if you will make the conscious effort to let the end of your day be the same as your beginning (assuming God is first on your list in the morning), you will be able to let the cares of this life slip aside and take hold of His peace.
Our problem—my problem—is that it’s too easy to end the day with the same routine, and just turn out the light and roll over. The results are always the same as my days when I don’t start them in His presence… confused, jumbled, without peace, tossing and turning.
Let’s just take David’s recipe for peaceful sleep to heart. There is no sleeping pill that can match “casting your cares at Jesus’ feet. It’s only His peace that can put our mind at rest, and it’s that rest that brings sweet sleep.
Think this isn’t true. Tonight, right before you go to bed, listen to some song three times (preferably one you haven’t heard before). Turn out the light and go to sleep. Then tell me what comes to your mind in the morning, and is there intermittently all day long.
Selah!