FaithWalkDaily January 22, 2009
Psalms 4:8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Here in the United States, we live, for the most part, in relative safety. There are thousands of criminals out there just waiting to take our hard earned money, drug addicts desperate and dangerous, fools who drink and drive, road rage on our freeways, and serial killers hiding among us. Yet we don't think of any of them in our day to day living. When we hear a horror story on the news about someone who was raped or murdered, rarely does it touch our lives in a personal way.
But over the ocean Israel and Palestine are at war. Our own sons and daughters fight a holy war in Iraq against terrorists we cannot find. Africa is frayed by war in various areas. The Irish are still killing each other. And on it goes.
There is devastation here and misery there, though we try to ignore it. The constant threat of foreign terrorism striking our own soil hides in the depths of all of our minds.
Yet though all dreadful manner of violence goes on from day to day, we will lie down and sleep in peace. The LORD alone makes us dwell in safety.
Does that mean we cannot be harmed? What about those who died in 911? Or those who die daily because of war in foreign lands or violence at home?
David isn't saying he can't die, that nothing bad can happen to us. He's saying, I live in peace because I know my Savior lives. This is not my home, but a temporary stop. God is sovereign and whatever happens to me today, it's in His hands and He knows best. We dwell in safety. Our final dwelling place is beyond pain and suffering.
Holy God, we are not worthy to say Your name, yet You love us and care for us no matter what. Forgive us our short-sightedness. Forgive us that we take so much for granted. Thank You Lord that You're always in control, though we are not. We can sleep and walk through our days in peace knowing You've got our backs. May the words of our mouths, the meditations of our hearts, and our every action today be a blessing that brings honor and glory to You. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
