Rest

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

Part of my daily rhythm is having a time of stillness. The practice I do is a centering prayer, which is meant to quiet my brain, body, and feelings and simply sit in God’s presence. Having done this practice for years, I can tell you it is challenging. The other day, as I actively worked to quiet my inner dialogue, something similar to this image I created came to my mind.

In these moments, I truly long for what David claims in this verse. The word peace in Hebrew may be familiar to you: Shalom. While we think of peace as the absence of war, really, it is a word that instead means well-being, safety, quiet, tranquility, and contentment. That list contains more inner traits than outward actions. That posture of inner serenity and peace is necessary to lie down and sleep.

I love that the Hebrew word for ‘lie down’ includes “lie down for rest” in its definition. According to an online dictionary, rest is to cease work or movement to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength. I used this idea in my art piece, surrounding the subject with all the work I fill my day with.

I tried to include another sentiment in this artwork, and that comes from the final phrase: You alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. The word safety here is translated much more frequently to security and implies safety physically but also the feeling of safety due to trust. To be secure inwardly, we must feel safe, stable, and free from fear and anxiety.

To lie down, and float in utter peace, as my subject is doing, requires not just ceasing from work and worry, but also a belief that God’s got me. Then I can lay aside the anxieties, stress, frustrations, and questions for a few moments of my day and rest… in him.

Can you guess the location of all these selves? It’s a brain!