THE WORD 4 ev 1

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

“What are you doing up?”

It was late, the middle of the night, and Jenny was very young. She found me in the living room watching an old movie on TV and …

“The cookies were calling me. Didn’t you hear them?”

So began a long tradition with my daughter, Jenny. It wasn’t the last time she found me eating cookies in the middle of the night. Ever since that first night, I don’t think Jenny ever found me up in the middle of the night when she hasn’t asked, “Were the cookies calling you?” And I know for sure she’s never found me up in the night when there haven’t been cookies and a glass of milk on my table next to me. As Jenny got older, not only did she faithfully continue asking about the cookies calling, she often began asking, “Are you okay?”

The late night milk and cookies aren’t a frequent occurrence anymore, and whatever has caused my restlessness isn’t typically very serious. Sometimes Jenny and I may chat, nothing too heavy, but in those couple of minutes I think God is reminding me that He does care about me, and He sends Jenny to deliver the message. I finish up my cookies, head back to bed and sleep well.

It sounds like the writer of this Psalm may have been familiar with losing a bit of sleep, but in today’s verse he lies down in peaceful sleep because he knows that in the Lord he is dwelling in safety.

THE PRAYER: Lord, thank You for those people You have placed in my life to remind me of Your love and protection. Amen.