Living Unafraid

(Psalm 4:8 MSG)  At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep, For you, GOD, have put my life back together.

The entire Bible is comforting but this particular verse seems to be the capstone of all comforting verses. However, I do believe it is possible for one to be tested to the point that they lose their peace and feel as though their life is scattered…like Job.

The problem with those feelings is that they allow fear to walk in unimpeded and take control. When fear walks in the front door and takes control of one’s life, then peace and rest walk out the back door along with health and well-being.

It is a proven fact that when one gets enough quality sleep, it helps protect their mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

In other words, the way one feels when they are awake depends in part on what happens when they are asleep. During sleep one’s body is also working to support healthy brain function and maintain good physical health.

It is exciting to find a scripture such as our text where it talks about  …sound sleep and God putting our life back together. As a result of finding such scripture our life begins to be filled with faith as a balloon is filled with air. Our countenance begins to change and by faith we immediately start dismissing the spirit of fear and the robber of sleep.

Even though I love the way our text reads in the Message, I am also fond of the way it reads in the Passion Translation. “Now I can lay down in peace and sleep comes at once for no matter what happens, I will live unafraid.”

The determination shown in the Passion is awesome where it says “I will live unafraid”…which is truly a faith builder.

Recently I made an eight hour round trip by car to go minister to a couple who’s marriage was in trouble. I left home very early that morning and returned home late that night after spending several hours doing personal ministry. I made this trip at the request of a lady who had been a dear friend for many years. This lady is a true saint in the Lord and my wife and I dearly love her and her family.

One of her daughters was separated from her husband and my friend (the mother) asked them if they would talk to me about their family situation and they both agreed. The ministry could not have been better.

It had been some time since I had seen my friend and I did not realize that her health had been failing. At the time she called me she was in the hospital. The doctors wanted to put her on chemotherapy, but she wanted to hold off for a while. As a matter of fact the day before she called me the doctors found blood in her brain.

When I finally found out all that was wrong with her I was amazed that she did not show any measure of weakness in spirit. As a matter of fact she talked with the same strength and faith that she was known for and with the confidence that this too would pass. I did not sense any self-denial or hyper faith…I only sensed a woman “Living Unafraid.” I have no doubt that most people would have called ‘Forest Lawn’ by now, but not her…she was a woman living in a spiritual realm not akin to natural control.

Since talking to my friend I have spent a lot of time analyzing our conversation. I wanted to see if I had missed anything, because I want to walk and live and have my being in the same spiritual dimension. I deplore self-denial and fake faith.

“Now I can lay down in peace and sleep comes at once for no matter what happens, I will live unafraid.”

Father,

There are many things that are frightening, but when one holds Your hand everything is alright. It is then that we have assurance that at “day’s end we can enjoy sound sleep as You put our lives back together.”

Amen

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