PEACEFUL SLEEP
Play Audio
If you prefer listening to today’s Bible guide reading, play this audio file.
If the audio bar is not appearing, click here to play the audio.
Opening Prayer
Father God, thank you for the countless ways you show me your love, for the ways you sustain me, providing all that I need for faith and life.
Read PSALM 4
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.
1 Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods[b]?[c]
3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 Tremble and[d] do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the Lord.
6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
Let the light of your face shine on us.
7 Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
Footnotes
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Do you regularly get a good night’s sleep? Allow today’s psalm to speak to your heart.Bad sleep affects many of us. Getting to sleep can be difficult; unpleasant dreams or the worries of the day can lead to wakefulness. David ends Psalm 4 with a simple declaration: ‘In peace I will lie down and sleep’ (v. 8). Despite his many dramatic trials that would cause most of us to have sleepless nights, David claims to sleep in peace.
The secret to his peaceful nights lies in his conviction that the God of the universe hears him and answers him. David’s God is a personal one. When one reflects on this truth, the repercussions are enormous. The great King of the universe hears us when we call to him (see v. 3) and takes an interest in our lives. If we hold to this conviction, it becomes natural to follow David’s next step and ‘trust in the Lord’ (v. 5).
A path to a life lived in peace starts with the simple, almost childlike conviction that God cares for me; like a good father, he has my best interests at heart. And if this is the case, I can live my life in abounding trust in him, which, in turn, leads to a peaceful life, both during the day and the night.
Apply
Do you live a life of peace or chaos? Trust or anxiety?
Closing prayer
Loving Father, who hears my every prayer and knows my every need, help me trust in your personal care for me and know a life of peace.
Book and Author Intros
Extras
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2025 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.