A Shield Around Me

“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” - Psalm 3:5 How many of you ever have trouble falling asleep at night? Perhaps that’s not your problem, but instead more along the lines of staying asleep? Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night mulling over things? Maybe you don’t have difficulty falling asleep; but do you ever have trouble staying asleep? Sometimes I jolt awake in the middle of the night and begin mulling things over: a bill that is coming due, a painful family situation, an obligation of some sort, an unwelcome conversation. It’s amazing how daytime events can either keep us up or wake us up. In King David’s case, it was family troubles. If you want to know more, thumb through 2 Samuel 13-18. Yikes! It’s no wonder he lost sleep and wrote about it in the Psalms! In fact, as we’ll see in Psalm 3, David had every reason to lose heart, yet what we will discover is that his faith has not left him. He calls out to God, professing that the Lord is his shield and protection. David trusts in God’s power and presence. Despite the circumstances David declares that he can lie down and awaken because the Lord sustains him. How I long for that kind of peace! As we gather together this week, we will study together the answer for our sleepless nights – God's sustaining power. It might not always be easy, but we can trust that God is our deliverer, and we can place our faith in Him. My hope is that you will be able to do that this new year and always. Happy New Year!