In peace I will lie down and sleep. Psalm 4:8
Today’s Scripture
Psalm 4
Listen to Today’s Devotional
Today’s Devotional
In his 1985 book Generation to Generation, family therapist and Rabbi Edwin Friedman introduced the phrase “a nonanxious presence.” Friedman’s thesis, later articulated in A Failure of Nerve, is that “the climate of contemporary America has become so chronically anxious that our society has gone into an emotional regression that is toxic to well-defined leadership.” Friedman focused on how chronic anxiety spreads within a system—a family, a workplace, a congregation. Yet in the same way, a leader can offer a nonanxious presence that will spread through a system, becoming a person of peace in the middle of a storm.
Psalm 4 is a psalm of David, written in the middle of one of life’s storms. David was in the grip of anxiety. So he cried out to God, “Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer” (v. 1). While he was fearful for his life, he was also aware that his followers were fearful too: “Many, Lord, are asking, ‘Who will bring us prosperity?’” (v. 6).
David’s decision to trust God created a nonanxious presence in the presence of anxiety! “In peace I will lie down and sleep,” he said. David could rest because “you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (v. 8).
We too can rest in the nonanxious presence God provides. We can spread His peace wherever we go.
Reflect & Pray
What’s a current situation causing you anxiety? What would it look like to lead with a nonanxious presence?
You alone, God of peace, are my safety. May my trust in You encourage others to do the same.
Today’s Insights
Psalm 4 expresses David’s quiet confidence in God amid distressing circumstances and slanderous attacks (vv. 1-2, 8). Affirming that God had set him apart to live a life that honored Him (v. 3) and acknowledging his propensity to seek revenge on those who’d attacked him, the psalmist reminded himself, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent” (v. 4 nlt). Instead of angry retribution, he chose silent reflection on God’s goodness and faithfulness (vv. 4-8). In another psalm, David similarly wrote, “Be still before the Lord . . . . Do not fret—it leads only to evil” (37:7-8). Today, when we’re anxious, we can ask God to help us and to remind us of His presence and faithfulness.
Discover the secret to lasting peace in Christ.
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