On Peace

In peace I will lie down and sleep

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” -Psalm 4:8

It creeps in at the most unexpected times. She is giggling with friends, climbing the railings of our porch and munching on a cookie; she is curled up in my lap, baby doll in hers, mesmerized by the brilliant colors and booming voices on stage; she is chatting away about sweet conversations during her day at school. Then the darkness comes so unexpected – fears of intruders, fires, being taken. It covers her like a web. She’s caught and can’t get out of it. This is the reality of the fear that grips my little one now. At any given moment she becomes paralyzed by thoughts and cannot move through the fear. It never comes at convenient times and most definitely is NOT welcomed.

But God. He is not caught off-guard. He is not inconvenienced. And so He is teaching us a new way of dependence on Him. Instead of managing through the crisis to get to the other side, He is teaching me to stop what I am doing, set aside my agenda and walk into the unfamiliar, dark places with the light of His scripture, trusting that His words are enough. He is teaching her that the Word is her Help. And so that’s what we are doing – relying on the scripture to guide us through the darkness. Each night we pray for peace as she lies down and sleeps, trusting that He, alone, will make us dwell in safety.

Are there dark, fearful places in your life where you need to know peace and safety? I pray these living words would be life and light for you, bringing you peace.