Sweet God-Induced Sleep

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Transcript

A Sleep Story With A Twist

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Hello and welcome to Five Minutes in the Word. I'm Ronnie Cooksie. I had a roommate in college, whom I love, who had what I considered funny sleep needs. He needed to be fully covered and have the ceiling fan on every night of the year. So in the winter, he had to have enough heat on to compensate for the ceiling fan. In the summer, he had to have enough air conditioning on to compensate for the blankets. He covered one window with a blanket and he turned his digital clock face down so that there would not be light in the room. I thought he was crazy. Until these past few years. Once I hit my mid fifties, that all made a lot more sense. Americans in general seemed to be getting less and less sleep. Sleep apnea, insomnia, stress, you name it. But today we look at a man who had a reason to not sleep.

David’s Crisis Behind Psalm 3

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King David in Psalm chapter three. He was run out of Jerusalem by his own son Absalom. He was the king, but he had sinned, and Absalom had sinned, and King David did not engage his son and renew the relationship. So this rivalry brewed between them and finally erupted, and King David was run away from his throne and from Jerusalem by his son who had stolen away the hearts of the people. So listen to what King David says in Psalm three as he cries out in prayer to God.

Naming The Fear In Prayer

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O Lord, how my adversaries have increased. Many are rising up against me, many are saying of my soul, There is no deliverance for him in God. Selah. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and he answered me from his holy mountain, Selah. I lay down and slept. I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me roundabout. Well, this is a beautiful prayer and a beautiful psalm that we're so thankful that God recorded for us. So

God As Shield And Strength

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here David finds himself in this horrific, dysfunctional, sinful situation brought on by his rebellious son Absalom. And it's not just Absalom, but it's now the armies also out trying to find David. And so he takes it to God in prayer. And what a crucial step this is for us. We don't have to try to figure it all out ourselves. Nothing wrong with taking action where we're supposed to take action and being responsible, but mainly, primarily taking it to God. And tell God what he already knows. God, my adversaries have increased. They're rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, there's no deliverance for him in God. And then this word Selah, pause, dramatic pause. What will happen in David's life? All seems lost. You found yourself here, you may be there today. There are situations that suddenly come upon us or slowly grow until they're insurmountable, overwhelming, and there doesn't seem to be a way out. So you take it to God, cry out to God in prayer. And as David did, he says he was crying to the Lord with his voice, and it's okay to raise your voice and let God hear it. And we pick back up in verse three. After the pause, after the question, what will happen? But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the one who lifts my head. Praise the Lord. What a beautiful verse. God, no matter what happens, I'm raising up the shield of faith in you to know that even though I don't know how you will finish this, even though I don't know how long the pain will continue, how long the difficult situation will continue, I trust that if I am in you, I've come to know you as my Savior, I'm walking with you. You will never leave me or forsake me, and you have a plan for how this ends. I was crying to the Lord with my voice. He answered me from his holy mountain. Another pause, Selah. And then this beautiful finish.

Choosing Trust Over Panic

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I lay down and slept. I awoke. Why? For the Lord sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about. Perhaps today you need to be reminded of these truths that you can take whatever is in your life to God. Cry out to him. Tell him all about it. He's got time to listen. Tell him over and over and over. God loves impossible situations. He likes to take the impossible and make it impossible. And then quiet your soul as you wait and trust in him. And then you watch to see what God will do. In his time, in his way, he will hear, and you'll be able to say, no matter what happens, I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who've set themselves against me roundabout, because if God is on my side, who can be against me? God bless you today. May God minister to you and encourage you today through his word and through his presence. I'll see you back here next time.