I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalms 4:8
There are plenty of things that money can’t buy; they are not for sale at any price, but they can be received as a gift from the Lord, for all things are in His hands. The greatest gift of all is salvation, which was also the costliest to obtain — Jesus became a curse to deliver us from the curse of the law and died on a cross so that we could have eternal life. As great as this gift is, it is just that: a gift. Salvation cannot be bought or earned in any way. Because it is a gift, salvation can only be accepted and received.
Solomon once asked for and received a gift from God — wisdom. Many people both before and after Solomon have sought to obtain knowledge with varying degrees of success as measured by this world’s understanding, but none have ever had the wisdom of Solomon. Why? Because some things can only be received as a gift from God; no amount of money or effort or human ingenuity can ever accomplish it.
The same can be said for peace. Oh, there is the peace that the world gives which is not really peace at all but a superficial substitute for the real thing. In the fourteenth chapter of John, it is revealed that true peace is a gift from God that is given to us by Jesus Christ. It is in His hands to give as He will. In fact, one of the prophetic names of Jesus is the Prince of Peace. So, David, in our verse today is proclaiming a double blessing; peace and sleep.
Both of these are gifts from the Lord, but like all of God’s good gifts we are to ask and then, by faith, receive the promise, receive the provision, receive the gift. But, why doesn’t the Lord just give me these things He already knows I need? He has already provided them, it’s just a matter of receiving them. There may be something that is standing between you and that gift, but the impediment is not on the Lord’s end!
So, if it is a gift that God has already provided and it is a gift that I both want and need, what could be standing in the way? First, as mentioned earlier, don’t forget to ask. Be specific with the Lord. You may feel there is no need to bring it up since the Lord is already aware of your need or that He does not want to be bothered with your constant requests or even assume you are not receiving because you are not worthy of His gifts. Remember, you can’t earn the gifts of God (no one can), it is His pleasure to give good gifts to His children!
Next, when you pray, believe. It sounds simple, but sometimes competing thoughts will be going through your head even as your heart is seeking to draw near to the Lord. You know God can do it, because He can do anything. Now, it is time to believe He will do it for you, that He wants to do it for you.
Finally, receive it. Receive the peace that passes understanding because you are not going to try to understand how it is possible to have peace in the midst of the storms of life. Ask God to help you receive by faith what you cannot understand in the natural. And with the gift of peace will come another welcome gift – the gift of sleep!
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