Sleep in God's Peace
When you are tempted with make-believe monsters turn to a greater God
The following devotion is an excerpt from a sermon preached at Grace Lutheran Church in a series following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Over the next few weeks devotions will feature various sermons in remembrance of these attacks as well as the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The focus will be on God’s mysterious care in the midst of discomforting circumstances, unwelcome fear, and a struggle for world peace.
You can link to http://www.gracedowntown.org/pages/srmDetail.asp?id=231 and read this sermon in its entirety.
You want to escape whatever is disturbing you from that day and get a good night’s rest, but it slithers under the bed while you’re not looking and mysteriously harasses you as you toss and turn. Awake. Angry. Afraid. Anxious.
God’s Word in Psalm 4 rightly suggests that this is not so much due to the menacing power of that which disturbs us, but rather to a weakness we can find in ourselves. “In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” Instead of sleeplessly casting curses on that which disturbs you because it has taken you hostage in your own bed, the Bible advises you to silently search your own heart. It’s just like being a kid again. The monster under your bed or in your closet doesn’t come from some distant galaxy or deep gorge. He comes to life in the imagination of your own heart.
Go to your heart, God says. There begin your search for a cure to sleeplessness. Understand that a heart frantically beating in fear is afraid of nothing other than what it has created itself. Your sinful heart takes a dilemma that your limited strength cannot control, and keeps you awake wondering how you can control it. Your sinful heart takes a regretful mistake you cannot undo, and keeps you awake pondering how you can undo it. Your sinful heart takes a look into the question of tomorrow’s possibilities you cannot answer, and keeps you awake asking “what if” questions only God can answer.
People without God, Psalm 4 tells us, “love delusions and seek false gods” that are figments of their imagination. That’s exactly what you and I do when we lie awake worrying about our incredible guilt, wondering about tomorrow’s potential for disaster, working our minds into a frenzy fearing monsters of our delusions.
Instead, search your heart, know what it does, and when you are tempted with make-believe monsters turn to a greater God, a Savior Jesus, an army of angels, all the Bible stories that prove it – and your childlike faith.
Sleep in God’s Peace far from that which disturbs you. Say with the Psalm writer, “Answer me when I call to you, O God of my righteousness. You have set me free from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.” Your righteousness, the condition of being right with God and ready for life, comes from God himself. When you put your head on the pillow each night the loving forgiveness of your heavenly Father tucks you in securely and the lullabies of his gracious promises to protect you night and day echo from his heaven to your heart. Nothing need disturb you.
The Psalm writer uses a Hebrew word that means “lots of space” and often describes the vast spread of the Old Testament promised land of Canaan when he says “you have set me free from my distress” and then later in verse three explains, “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself, the Lord will hear when I call to him.” As far as the east is from the west, your heavenly Father puts distance between you and that which disturbs you. He sets you apart. He stays by your side. Don’t be afraid!
God is awake watching you roll over and hit the snooze on the alarm. God stays by your side every second in between, every second that next day, and every second forever. “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
PRAYER: Keep me safe, O God, from myself. When I create delusions that frighten me scare them away by your mighty power and merciful promises. Reassure my weak faith that I can be at peace with you and live in peace even in this world, because you are there. Bring peace not just to the nations of our world but to the hearts of people everywhere, even my enemies, through the working of your loving Word. Amen.