Gospel Reflection #1130: Our True Peace

Psalm 4:8 ‘I lie down in peace and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.’

This is a truly beautiful verse that sings of the ‘true peace and restful sleep’ attained through complete trust in God, even amidst deep suffering or when surrounded by enemies.

Traditionally, whilst Psalm 3 is known as the ‘morning prayer’, this Psalm 4 has long been cherished as the ‘evening prayer (night prayer)’.

 The circumstances David found himself in at that time were far from conducive to ‘a peaceful sleep’. 

It is believed that he was in the midst of fleeing into the wilderness, his life under threat after being betrayed by those closest to him—including his son Absalom—and by people he had trusted. 

His companions, who were fleeing with him, were utterly exhausted and were voicing their despair and discontent, asking, ‘Who will look upon us with favour?’ 

His honour had been tarnished by his enemies, and he was under attack from empty words and lies. Under normal circumstances, this would have been an extreme situation in which anxiety, fear and anger would have kept his mind racing, leaving him unable to sleep a wink. 

This verse encapsulates an important attitude of faith for Christians to overcome difficulties.

Just before this, David confessed: ‘You have filled my heart with joy, a joy greater than when they have an abundance of grain and new wine.’

The world’s sense of security depends on ‘economic prosperity, favourable circumstances and the resolution of problems’, but the peace David possessed came from the very fact that ‘God is with him, regardless of the circumstances’.

Furthermore, the greatest cause of insomnia is taking it upon oneself to try to control tomorrow’s problems or devise strategies against one’s enemies.

The reason David was able to ‘fall asleep immediately’ was that he had entrusted himself completely—100 per cent—to the fact that ‘even whilst I sleep, the Almighty God is awake and watching over me’.

This is the conviction that it is ‘the Lord (God) alone’, and not the surrounding armies or human help, who truly keeps him safe (and protects him).

By ceasing to rely on human defences and throwing ourselves into God’s embrace, we are granted true mental care and peace. 

We who live in modern society also sometimes experience ‘sleepless nights filled with anxiety’ due to relationship troubles, worries about the future, or financial stress.

This passage from Scripture is a ‘prescription for insomnia’ for such times, telling us: ‘Let go of the grip you have on trying to solve problems yourself, hand them over to God, and go to sleep.’

We, too, can regain true peace of mind by murmuring these words as we get into bed at night and entrusting our worries to God in prayer.

For it is our trust in God that gives us the assurance of a peaceful night’s sleep.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.