So this blogging every night thing has turned out to be too much for my schedule. But, the reading Psalms has been going wonderfully! It always amazes me how much I can get out of 12 verses of God's word that I have read several times before. I know that I have read the first 90 Psalms at least 15-20X before. Yet, here I am only on Psalm 7 and just floored with all that God is teaching me already.
I've got a couple things that I want to blog about - but I don't know that I am ready for that yet. Not sure how public I want to be yet, but if you read this and feel comfortable doing so, please pray for me Tuesday morning. If you read this and want to know more details, shoot me an email and I will give you more specifics.
I think that Psalm 4 may be one of my new favorite "chapters" in the Bible. How beautiful is this closing sentence: "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety." It's no secret that I have had problems sleeping most of my life. But one of the things that is kind of a secret, is the reason why I have problems falling asleep. My mind just won't shut off - ever. If I let it, my thoughts follow bunny trail after bunny trail. Lately, I've noticed that they always find their way down the "worse case scenario" path. Some how, I have let anxiety and worry creep back into my life over the last 6 months to a year. It is something I am not proud of, and it is something I know that has been impeding my relationship with God - and probably other people too.
While my worries are not the same as Davids (I don't think I have an army after me) the same principle applies now. The LORD makes me dwell in safety. No, I don't interpret that to mean I will not have pain, sorry, or any worry in my life, I do believe that the safety of my soul is set in the path of God. And no earthly worry will come close to taking that way from me.
Now I just need to continuously take these words everywhere I go:
Tremble, and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in the LORD.
Psalm 4:4
2 comments:
Praying for peaceful and sleep-filled nights for you this week!
Psalm 4 is one of the Psalm choices in the Compline service in the Book of Common Prayer.
I read the Compline service at bedtime or thereabouts a fair bit. There is also a favorite prayer of mine in both the Evening Prayer and the Compline service that goes nicely with this Psalm...
"Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who
sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless
the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the
joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen."
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