Enjoying life in God’s peace.

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

I have been writing a lot about peace this year. It is not coincidental and it is not intentional either- at least on my part. The peace of God is an amazing thing. There is no substitute for God’s peace in our lives. 

I used to suffer from anxiety and insomnia. I would be stressed out about the smallest things and I would have trouble sleeping. I would be lying in bed awake all night and I would only fall asleep when it was dawn and by that time it would be time to wake up. It was miserable not getting enough sleep. I wasn’t as productive as I wanted to be and energy drinks were a no go for me after I had an incident with an energy drink that kept me up for almost 3 days straight! 

So how then did I learn to sleep at night? First God had to deal with some issues in my life. Mainly control issues. Why am I sharing this? I am hoping this may be helpful to someone. When I realised that control belonged to God and obedience and submission to me, that was the beginning of my experience with peace. As I grew to know who God is and His amazing love for me, I also began to experience a level of peace I did not know existed in this life time. 

I also found a verse by the psalmist, David that I liked to meditate on before I slept. So before I slept I would pray, “I will lie down and sleep in peace for You alone oh Lord, You make me dwell in safety”. With that I would make a conscious effort not to think about anything that would stress me out and instead enjoy the peaceful Presence of God as I slept. I would meditate on God’s love for me and read Psalms 91 if I needed a little extra comfort. God wants us to live in peace and to be well rested before we tackle each day. Each day has its own challenges and I have found that I am not the best version of myself when I am tired. 

I hope this week you meditate on verses on peace that you may experience the wonderful peace of God in your life. Joyce Meyer wrote in one of her daily devotions, “Get addicted to peace” that she is addicted to the peace of God. God’s peace is addictive. It is a wonderful thing. If you do not have it, pursue it until you get it. God is more than willing to give you His peace everyday and in every situation. 

Have a blessed week.