Daily Devotions

Psalm 4:8
“I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Building on the previous verse in Psalm 3, this verse offers a deepened and more intimate view of rest. David, despite facing real and present danger—his enemies rising against him (Psalm 3:1), his own son Absalom rebelling (2 Samuel 15:13–14)—finds the remarkable ability to lie down and sleep peacefully. This is not denial or escapism. It is the fruit of deep trust in a faithful God.

Rather than tossing and turning through the night, David casts his burdens onto the shoulders of the Lord. He knows who truly holds his life, and he chooses to rest—not because the storm has passed, but because God is present in the midst of it.

The rest David describes is not just physical sleep. It’s a spiritual freedom—the kind that comes when we surrender control and place our trust fully in God. As Mark Buchanan writes in The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath:

“The opposite of a slave is not a free man. It’s a worshiper. The one who is most free is the one who turns the work of his hands into sacrament, into offering. All he makes and all he does are gifts from God, through God, and to God.”

Rest, then, is not simply stepping away from work—it is reorienting the soul. It’s the freedom of the worshiper who offers every moment, task, and breath to God.

This theme echoes throughout Scripture.
In 1 Peter 5:7, we are told:

“Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

And in Philippians 4:6–7, Paul encourages us:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Peace that surpasses understanding—this is what David experienced. Not peace because everything was perfect, but peace because God was near, attentive, and sovereign.

Psalm 4:8 reminds us that sleep itself is a gift—a daily invitation to trust, to surrender, and to be renewed. In modelling rest from the very beginning of creation, God teaches us that stopping is not weakness, but wisdom. It is holy. It is necessary. When we rest, we remember that we are not God—and we don’t need to be.

Rest renews the mind, refreshes the body, and restores the soul.
It is not the end of work, but the worshipful pause that allows us to continue.

Heavenly Father, I have scarce scratched the surface of Your grace and goodness toward me. My love is poor and weak, and my thoughts and prayers are too often motivated from selfish desires and a lack of understanding of Who You are and what You have done for me. Increase my desire and love for You, and help me, like David, to become a "man after God's own heart" desiring You above all things. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen