Psalm 4 opens with a cry that many of us have whispered in the quiet of our own struggles: “Answer me when I call to you … Give me relief from my distress.” David’s words are raw and familiar. They remind us that it’s okay to go to God when we’re overwhelmed, anxious or at the end of our rope.
Whether you’re losing sleep over a financial worry, lying awake wondering how to help your teenager or simply carrying the mental load that never seems to let up, God invites you to bring it all to Him. You don’t need to have the right words. You don’t need to tidy up your emotions. Just bring your heart.
David doesn’t end this Psalm in panic or despair—he ends it in peace. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” It’s not because everything has been fixed. It’s because he knows who holds him.
That’s the kind of peace our souls crave. Not peace that depends on circumstances going smoothly, but peace that comes from being in the presence of a faithful God.
In our busy lives, it’s easy to chase after rest in all the wrong places—endless scrolling, distraction, productivity, even trying to control outcomes. But none of those things can settle our hearts the way God’s presence can.
So take a moment today. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Picture laying down your burdens—your to-do list, your fears, your overthinking—and resting in the hands of the One who never sleeps. He sees it all. He holds it all. And He holds you.
You don’t have to figure it all out before you rest. You just have to remember who your rest comes from.
