I’m a podcast junkie and today I listened to this great episode on the Proverbs 31 podcast that one of my favorite speakers Lysa Terkeurst spoke. She was talking about how what we think comes from our “master.” I started thinking, “Who is my master? Is joy my master? Is peace my master? Is anger my master? Is negativity my master?”

I felt like after hearing this message that this was just too important not to share with you guys.

The Bible is known for a specific verse of saying “don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” Before today, I proudly felt as though I had this one down. For example, my husband and I practice never going to bed angry at each other. We always hash it out and say “I love you” before “the sun goes down on our anger.” But let me ask you, do you have nights like me, where you wake up for some reason and something bitter takes over? A negative thought that won’t let you go back to sleep? And you just stir in it?

Lysa brings up Psalm 4:4, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.” When Lysa brought up this verse I thought “that sounds awful!” Funny enough, she says after reading it “um….then what?” Lol. So we are supposed to think about it over night and remain silent and that’s it?

She then reads the rest of the Psalm. It continues with “Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord. Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, will keep me safe.” Psalm 4:5-8

Normally I would have grazed over this Psalm not realizing that these are actual instructions from God. It’s hard not to just package it up and read on. But by Lysa dissecting it piece by piece, I realized this message is so essential to our peace.

God’s instructions are on “How to Find Peace in the Middle of the Night”:

1.When we are lying there angry, anxious, bitter or negative, He wants us to change our thoughts to Him. It says “in the right spirit put our trust in the Lord!” Give Him our thoughts and trust Him.

2. He wants us to remember that “no one gives us greater joy then the Lord”– not the person or situation we are staying awake and stewing over, but to let Him remain our joy.

Guys! If we took our fearful thoughts in the middle of the night and started to instead focus on all God’s goodness, faithfulness and blessings, remembering how His face smiles upon us, then I just know we would experience the end of the verse: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.” We would remember that we are SAFE!

Let’s be done with the middle of the night, restless, tossing and turning. We know who our Master is. So whenever something else tries to impose on Him, know who gets your thoughts instead.

I pray this post blesses you!

As usual, stay fabulous, but recognize our flaws so we can always, always, always, see our need for Christ.

XOXO,
Jill Rohrbaugh