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Introduction - Trouble Falling Asleep
Have you ever had trouble falling asleep?
Are you plagued with issues falling asleep regularly -if so you need to seek some help, just kidding, but maybe perhaps maybe you have trouble falling asleep because you are not able to just rest easy.
Now I also want to give you another reason and another perspective to being unable to fall asleep - it may be that Jesus just wants to spend some time with you at that time.
No one and nothing to distract you and He has your attention.
Thats one way to look at the issue with being unable to fall asleep.
Another thing keeping you from falling asleep is as I said earlier perhaps you are unable to rest easy - rest does not come to you easily.
Many things on your mind, worries, anxieties, situations and circumstances in your life are robbing you of being able to rest easy.
As we open and come to Psalms 3 and Psalms 4 what I discovered for myself is that these Psalms fit together under the theme of being able to sleep.
This sleep found by the Psalmist is regardless of life and its circumstances and it comes from being able to rest easy.
As we cover these two Psalms we will see 6 ways in which we can begin to rest easy so we can sleep better.
Distressing Circumstances
Psalms 3 begins with the Psalmist writing about how his foes or enemies increase - speaking both in number, size, scale, strength, magnitude and importance in their opposition to him.
The psalmist says there are many who attack me.
Go back just before verse 1 A psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom.
This is the first Psalm with a title, and the thing to note about this title is it is part of the canonical text of scripture.
Take these titles in Psalms with absolute seriousness as you encounter them.
This Psalm is written by David when he was fleeing from his son Absalom.
David is at this point is an old man and his son plots against him for the throne.
David finds himself in old age fleeing the safety of the palace because of his own son.
Surrounded by enemies without the known safety of the palace.
Quite a troubled time to be in right?
Surely this situation would cause one to disrupt rest and ability to sleep or rest easy.
David continues on and says many say there is no help from God for him.
Heavy hearts lead to distracted minds and rob us of our ability to rest easy
Help is the word yeshua — no salvation or deliverance from his time of trouble.
The belief was that the rebellion in David’s house towards David was his own fault.
Some might say that karma is what David was finding himself stuck in right?
What goes around comes around.
You know that karma is a false religious belief though - is it the same as the golden rule — do to others what they have done to you?
No the golden rule is to do to others what you WOULD have them do to you.
Karma is a false religious belief but the true Spiritual Law is the law of sowing and reaping found in Galatians.
The people believed David was getting what he deserved - from his own sin as an adulterer, a murderer, for his wars and also for his lack of addressing his own home.
Davids first born son Amnon committed a heinous act against Tamar Absalom’s sister - by raping her and then casting her out from his presence.
David did nothing to discipline his son for he was his first born son and he loved him very much.
Absalom therefore lay in wait and plotted and had Amnon killed.
Absalom fled and was exiled several years.
David’s reluctance to discipline Amnon drove Absalom to turn against David and when he did come back from exile it was to begin to usurp the throne.
2 Samuel 13-14.
The thought was is that this is the bitter fruit of what David has sown and they said there is no help from God - he is beyond God’s help.
What a horrible place to be.
Our enemies and situations all surround us and tell us that our God has left us or abandoned us and there is no hope of being delivered.
“It is the most bitter of all afflictions to be led to fear that there is no help for us in God.”
Then we read the word Selah SAY-LA - this is a new word we are introduced to and it is one we will see continually in the book of Psalms.
The meaning is mostly unknown and mostly found in Psalms but also occurs in Habakkuk.
David uses this word 20 of the 39 times in Psalms.
It is thought to be related to identify the way the music is to be played or the Psalm sung — the most widely accepted meaning for this word is a PAUSE or REST.
A PAUSE or a REST to stop and reflect on what was just written.
Here are 6 ways we find in which despite circumstance and troubles we can rest easy.
Refocus Perspective
Is it true that any are beyond the help and salvation of the Lord?
Is it true when we say there is no help from God for us?
Thats a lie from Satan - he wants us to believe that we are beyond God’s help and God’s salvation - but what did Jesus say in Luke?
SELAH - rest pause - reflect - reflect upon truth and upon God.
Remember what we saw in Psalm 1 and Psalm 2?
Blessed is the one... whose delight is in the Lord’s instruction
All who take refuge in Him are blessed
That’s what David does here and watch the mood change as David goes from focusing on how big his problems are to focusing on how great his God is.
When we take our eyes of our enemies and problems and put them on God we begin to rest easy.
David says BUT YOU LORD are a shield around me.
Others say there is no help from God but David knew His God was shield around him.
The word for shield here isnt the kind a warrior would take into battle to try to hide behind and was inferior because it left parts exposed.
The idea here and a better translation in today’s vernacular is that of a force field that surrounds us.
Refocused on the truth of God David says you are my glory.
Nothing to glory in his circumstances no he would find glory in his God
He acknowledges God is the one who lifts his head - the one who exalts, the one who restores and the one who will restore his throne to him.
How much rest do we miss because we try to work out how to get something or trying to stop something that is in God’s hands anyway?
David trusts the Lord to restore him to the throne.
You can rest easy when you look to and trust God to restore and resolve things in your life.
David says I cry aloud to the Lord and he answers me from his holy mountain.
David is expressing several truths here as his focus has returned to his God.
First no matter where he was or what was happening he could always call out to God.
God is never busy or away where He cannot hear.
David knows that God hears him because he says God answers me.
Rest easy knowing God hears and answers those who cry out to Him.
David says he answers from his holy mountain - no matter who is king God is on the throne.
Rest comes easy knowing God hears and answers and also is still sitting on His throne!
Right Trust Brings Rest
Again a SELAH a rest or PAUSE to consider knowing God is on the throne.
After the pause David lies down and sleeps.
Assured of God’s protection David lies down and goes to sleep.
The sweetest kind of sleep, a gift of God to those who trust Him in the midst of life’s most distressing circumstances.
Upon awakening the Psalmist recognizes that it is by God that his life is sustained.
In this chaos he slept and awoke strengthens his courage that he would not fear thousands of people who have taken their stand all around him.
Blessed both, by sleep - despite the rebellion most would find sleep to escape but in God David slept, also blessed by waking with so many against him how would he survive if he slept?
Sleeping is a vulnerable time.
When you are asleep you are unconscious quite dead to the world.
Think of all the things going on that are being used to sustain you - your organs operate, your brain works, you breathe and your heart beats rhythmically.
We take it for granted but the same God who sustains us while we sleep will sustain us also in our difficulties.
When you trust in the One who truly sustains you find rest easy.
Call Upon God
Call upon God - God sustains and God protects so call upon Him!
Call upon God for not just help but to give the complete victory.
David says rise up Lord save me my God.
You strike my enemies on the cheek and you break their teeth.
You insult and shame them and destroy their power and ferocity.
David looked for protection but more than protection David also looked for victory in and through God.
It is not enough to survive we must seek the victory and in God we can be assured of victory.
Salvation belongs to the Lord - it is something He holds and can give.
This does not mean prayer is no longer necessary.
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