Psalm 3: I can't get no sleep

Cast your cares on him. Believe His promises to be true
in any situation. Trust in Him. Rest in Him.
Let Him give you true freedom!

By Chantalle Wookey

Psalm 3 (NIV)

I don’t think I am the only person who does this but sometimes at night I find myself awake and drawn to thoughts of stress and worry, particularly at really pressured times, especially If I convince myself there are jobs I could do to help ease the anxiety. I find that I ask myself questions like, “When has not sleeping EVER helped you Channy?” and I try to talk myself into sleep with logic like, “All worry and staying awake will ever do is make you tired,” but do I sleep? No!

In this Psalm we find David having been overthrown by his own son Absalom fleeing Jerusalem. This is not something that happened by chance – David really had brought it on himself. It was as a result of David’s failure to bring justice against his son because David himself had committed a similar sin (sexual sin with Bathsheba followed by the murder of her husband). Despite this the rebellion by his son caught David by surprise, so much so, that he fled barefoot and weeping.

This part of the Psalm also rings true so often for me. How many times have I felt like a failure because of the poor choices I have made?.... Too many to count.

It’s at these times I am learning that more than anything else, I need God’s intervention in my life because I am powerless to make it different.

In my mind I see David as a tired man who is sleepless and paranoid – a little like myself in those nighttime hours when I cannot rest. However, unlike the poor choices I so often make, David makes a good choice – he turns to God in prayer and is heard.

“I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me” (3:5).
It’s in these moments of stress and worry I really need to discover how to Selah (3:2) – to pause and consider, to keep my head up, and set my eyes on God who gives me strength! In verse 3, with the word “But” David turns from looking with worldly eyes at his situation, and fixes his gaze on God. This is also so important in leading our congregation into worship, to truly pause, to make sure we are not looking with worldly eyes on how we are worshipping but to turn our eyes heavenwards.

What makes this psalm even crazier is not only that God answers but also that the Lord sustains David even though the betrayal by his son was a punishment from God because of David’s sexual sin with Bathsheba (II Sam. 12:11-12). God is a just God; yet, God is also a merciful God. Despite the afflictions and, yes, even punishment that we may face, God is with us and He is in control of the situation. This is the theme of this Psalm. David confessed his sin to God and repented from his sin and as a result David could look to God as his Saviour.

We know we will all face difficulties, Jesus even tell us that “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). When we are facing challenging events, things like sickness, family worries and job uncertainties that would threaten to keep us awake at night, God invites us to rest while He watches over us.

Today, I know I can be delivered from fear and worry, as can you. Call out to Him, and stand on His Word. Cast your cares on him. Believe His promises to be true in any situation. Trust in Him. Rest in Him. Let Him give you true freedom! As you are released into true freedom you can catalyst freedom in others.