Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Presbyterian Church of Easton
Sermon Psalm 4 “When You Can’t Sleep”
April 18, 2021
We have all had nights when we cannot sleep. We go to bed but our minds keep on working. We continue to think over the day’s events, the troubles that befell us, our worries and concerns. We close our eyes and try to go to sleep, but we can’t. So we toss and turn, go to the bathroom, get some cold chicken from the refrigerator to eat, watch late-night television, turn on the radio, or get dressed and go for a walk. We do all of these things hoping that we will become drowsy and go to sleep, but nothing seems to work. The Psalmist was having one of these nights when he wrote Psalm 4. But before we look at this wonderful Psalm will you pray with me?
Father in heaven, open our hearts this day to receive that grace you have for us. Bless us with the gift of understanding as we hear your word read and proclaimed. Bless me with the gift of preaching as I proclaim your word to this church. And help us on those nights when we can’t get to sleep with your assurance, peace, and love. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Psalm 4 To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
1 Answer me when I call, O God of my right!
You gave me room when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.
2 How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame?
How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 When you are disturbed, do not sin;
ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many who say, “O that we might see some good!
Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!”
7 You have put gladness in my heart
more than when their grain and wine abound.
8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
King David has written a psalm about sleep. David was an expert on sleep. In our first reading today David helped King Saul who was having trouble sleeping. Saul was plagued by an evil spirit that kept him awake at night. David would play the lyre which had the effect of helping Saul get to sleep. So in a way, David is an ancient authority on getting to sleep and his wisdom on this subject is contained in the fourth Psalm.
I usually get to sleep pretty well, but occasionally I toss and turn and just can’t get to sleep. My favorite way of dealing with sleeplessness is by drinking some warm milk and then going back to bed. This usually works, but when it doesn’t I turn to prayer and then to some late-night television.
Sometimes I have trouble getting to sleep on Sunday nights. After meeting people all day Sunday and praying for them I sometimes find it hard to fall asleep. The day’s events keep replaying in my mind. I am in a continual conversation with God about those things that are happening to people coming to our church. So sometimes I toss and turn and find that sleep comes much later than normal. Monday mornings often require a second cup of coffee.
When David couldn’t sleep he turned to God in prayer. He reminded God of times past when God had relieved him and gave him rest. So he asked God to calm his fears and settle his mind so that he could get some rest. And David was confident that God would listen to his prayer and give him the rest he needed. So let’s look closely at how David got to sleep.
1 Answer me when I call, O God of my right!
You gave me room when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.
This is where we should start when we can’t get to sleep. We remember how God has cared for us in the past. We remember how God has graciously blessed us. And so we join our voices with David and ask God to settle our minds and help us to sleep. But even though we pray for sleep we still can’t sleep. We toss and turn and think about all the things going on in our lives. Listen as David describes what he is going through, all that is bothering him.
2 How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame?
How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? Selah
People are slandering David. They are telling lies about him. And David is tossing and turning in bed worrying about this. But with the assurance that God does hear the prayers of the faithful, David returns to prayer.
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
So David was convinced that during his sleepless night he could turn to God and find relief. As he turned to God he remembered all the things that he has done to displease God. He remembered his sinfulness.
4 When you are disturbed, do not sin;
ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Selah
David knew that there were some concrete things that you could do to keep yourself from becoming emotionally upset to the point of disturbing your sleep. The first step is to refrain from sinning. Sin will keep you up at night. If you drink too much, or cheat on your spouse, or lie, or steal or do any of the things we know are sinful our consciences will warn us by keeping us up at night. Most of our worries are that our past sins might be catching up with us. But if we refrain from sinning we will sleep better at night because we will not be tormented by what we have done. If we have sinned then a sleepless night is an indication that it is time for us to confess the sin and repent. Then when we have experienced the forgiveness of God we can simply be quiet, lay our heads on the pillow and get the rest we need. And then there is something else we should do. We should be in worship regularly.
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
David tells us about one way of getting to sleep is to always put our trust in the Lord. If we depend solely on our own abilities and resources we will surely fail and this concern will keep us up at night. But if we trust in God to care for us this relieves us from the burden of depending on ourselves and allows us to get a good night’s sleep. We trust that God will provide for what we need and will guide us in the right paths. All we have to do is to follow God. By following God we can get to sleep.
Sin separates us from God, and that separation is also there when we pray. So prayers are not always answered by God the way we hope. David realized the problems his own sin had caused. He knew that to get a good night’s sleep you have to stop sinning and honestly confess your sin to God. Only with the assurance of forgiveness can we once again get a good night’s sleep. And forgiveness can be found in worship. In worship, we confess our sin and received God’s pardon. So regular attendance in worship will help you to sleep.
I have found that a daily habit of prayer is a great way to ensure a good night’s sleep. I can also get the rest I need knowing that I will have the opportunity to talk with God about anything bothering me the next day. This cuts through my worries and lets me get to sleep. By praying every day, by meditating on scripture every day, or by reading a devotional every day we form a habit of bringing all our concerns to God. And once released from the burden of carrying our own concerns we can get to sleep.
So I urge you to start a daily practice of worship. Join us for prayer services during the week or find something that is right for you. Daily worship will free your minds from your concerns because you would have given your concerns to God. Once David was assured that God had forgiven him he started to remember all the blessings that had poured down on him from heaven.
6 There are many who say, “O that we might see some good!
Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!”
7 You have put gladness in my heart
more than when their grain and wine abound.
So on those sleepless nights when you toss and turn in bed, honestly confess your sins to God and ask God for forgiveness and a good night’s sleep. Remember all the ways God had blessed you. As the old-time pastors used to say, “Count your blessings”. Then close your eyes and get some sleep. Here is how David put it.
8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
When we toss and turn and can’t get to sleep at night when the events of the day keep us awake, what should we do? Start with prayer. Confess and repent your sin. Begin a daily practice of worship and prayer. And count all the blessings you have received from God. Then you will be blessed with the rest you need.
Psalm 4:1 Answer me when I call, O God of my right!
You gave me room when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.
2 How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame?
How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 When you are disturbed, do not sin;
ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many who say, “O that we might see some good!
Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!”
7 You have put gladness in my heart
more than when their grain and wine abound.
8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.
Lord Jesus, as we follow you we ask that you forgive our sins and help us to lead new lives. Help us to become the people you created us to be. Help us to trust that God will provide for us all that we need. Take all of our cares and concerns on your shoulders and help us to get the sleep we need. Amen.
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