Devotion 8/11, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
In Psalm 4 it seems that King David is brooding again about the rebellion of his son Absalom (Psalm 3; July 8)—not to mention his many other enemies. This psalm gives us a heightened sense of his desperation. We can almost see David twisting and turning, messing up the covers on his bed. Here again he calls out to God, pleading for mercy. In the middle of the psalm, though (v. 4), David offers some sound advice for such times of struggle in the darkness: searching one’s heart and asking for forgiveness for any sins one may have done.
Then, as often happens in the psalms, David moves from turmoil and agony toward trust. He does this by deliberately turning his mind toward God’s faithfulness and provision.
David’s struggles aren’t fully resolved in this psalm. But in reaffirming his trust in God, he sees a way forward. He ends with a declaration about peaceful sleep, a complete letting go into God’s faithfulness.
In all of our struggles, Lord, help us to cry out to you and in faith to turn to you in trust and gratitude for your gifts of love, mercy and grace. Amen.
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