Sleep, Rest, and Night Peace

⁴while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” ⁵Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. ⁷A second time the angel of the LORD returned and touched him, saying, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” ⁸So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

³But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. ⁴To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah ⁵I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me. ⁶I will not fear the myriads set against me on every side.

⁸I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

⁷I will bless the LORD who counsels me; even at night my conscience instructs me. ⁸I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. ⁹Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell securely.

¹A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ²He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. ³He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. ⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

⁶When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night. ⁷For You are my help; I will sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings. ⁸My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

¹For the choirmaster. According to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. I cried out to God; I cried aloud to God to hear me. ²In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted. ³I remembered You, O God, and I groaned; I mused and my spirit grew faint. Selah ⁴You have kept my eyes from closing; I am too troubled to speak. ⁵I considered the days of old, the years long in the past. ⁶At night I remembered my song; in my heart I mused, and my spirit pondered: ⁷“Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again? ⁸Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time? ⁹Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah ¹⁰So I said, “I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.” ¹¹I will remember the works of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. ¹²I will reflect on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds.

¹He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. ²I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” ³Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly plague. ⁴He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart. ⁵You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ⁶nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the calamity that destroys at noon.

⁵The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. ⁶The LORD preserves the simplehearted; I was helpless, and He saved me. ⁷Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. ⁸For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. ⁹I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

³He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. ⁴Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. ⁵The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand. ⁶The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. ⁷The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. ⁸The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.

¹A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain. ²In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat—for He gives sleep to His beloved.

¹A song of ascents. Of David. My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty. I do not aspire to great things or matters too lofty for me. ²Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. ³O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, both now and forevermore.

¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me”— ¹²even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.

²¹My son, do not lose sight of this: Preserve sound judgment and discernment. ²²They will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck. ²³Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. ²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you rest, your sleep will be sweet. ²⁵Do not fear sudden danger or the ruin that overtakes the wicked, ²⁶for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from the snare.

²⁰My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. ²¹Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck. ²²When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. ²³For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,

²³The fear of the LORD leads to life, that one may rest content, without visitation from harm.

¹²The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.

³You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You. ⁴Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.

²⁵Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

²⁸Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

³⁰Meanwhile, the apostles gathered around Jesus and brought Him news of all they had done and taught. ³¹And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. ³²So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place.

²⁷Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.