Psalm 3 was written by King David, when his son, Prince Absalom, had usurped his father’s throne, forcing David to retreat into the wilderness. Many Israelites joined Absalom’s rebellion, so that David wrote that those who opposed him numbered “many thousands of people.” Despite the desperation of these times, David found such peace in God, that he was able to lay down and sleep in peace.
Lord, sleep is such a precious gift. It is a lesson for us…if we heed it. When we sleep, we have absolutely no control over what happens around us. Even King David, who slumbers surrounded by body guards, has to give up trusting himself and put his trust in others as he sleeps. Thankfully, David learned to put his trust in you, and so he slept peacefully. May we also learn the lesson of sleep…that we are not in control…so that we might also place our trust in you. For it is only in you that we can ever truly find rest. As Saint Augustine wrote: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” All glory, honor, and praise, be unto you, Lord Jesus, our resting place and home. Amen.
