I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
The first five words of these verses will resonate with many of you reading this. Perhaps you are sleepy as you read this because you lay awake worrying about this or that. Sleep experts recommend the 4-7-8 method for falling asleep. Look it up. It may help. I prefer the 3-5-6 method, that is Psalm 3:5-6. Here, David, amidst all his struggles and pressures, was able to sleep at night. How did he do it? He knew the Lord watched him like a shepherd watches his sheep. Knowing that, David could walk the earth without fear, even though there were thousands out to get him. He knew he would awake and praise the Lord again.
Feel free to try the 4-7-8 method. I have tried it with limited success. The problem is that tomorrow night, those things you worry about will still be there. There is a better way to go about it. David knew it and wrote this psalm to help us. To sleep.
Cast your burdens onto the Lord. And sleep. Commit your plans to the Lord. And sleep. Lift up your eyes to the hills. And sleep. He will sustain you. Do not be afraid of the millions who are against us and the Lord. They will not prevail. No one knew stress more than David. No one handled it better. Next time your problems rob you of sleep, remember the 3-5-6 method…
And sleep.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church