David was in dire straits when he wrote this psalm. He was fleeing from his son Absalom, who had taken over the throne. Look at how he describes it in the song:
vs. 1 "how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
vs. 2 he was being taunted, many were saying "God will not deliver him", because Absalom was now the one sitting as king. Imagine the feeling, wondering if God was still on your side or not.
In verse 6, David felt as if there were tens of thousands drawn up against him on every side. David left with only a handful of supporters. Absalom now had the whole army under his command. And even when David was leaving some people cursed him, especially those who were related to Saul.
This was no ordinary circumstance. And yet, in the midst of this stressful and fearful time, David dug deep into his heart, and trusted in God.
(3) But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. (4) To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.
David knew that his God was still with him. It was God who was his shield, not himself, or his bodyguards...only God. And whatever glory was taken away from him as king, he knew that it was God who would bestow it back to him, and lift up his head.
And so even as he fled, in the midst of this situation, David said in verse 5 "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me."
Imagine, in a situation like this, David could still sleep. Why? Because it was the Lord who sustained him. His total trust was in God. He knew that his deliverance (vs. 7-8) was from God and God alone.
This is what made him able to lie down, sleep, and wake again. Despite what surrounded him, he slept "like a baby", trusting that his life was in God's hand.
There are many who quote verse 5, "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me", without really understanding the context of David's situation. When we understand what he was going through, and compare it to ours, this should strengthen our faith, the same faith that David had, that despite what we are going through, what surrounds us, we can lie down, sleep, and rest assured we will wake up - because it is the Lord who sustains us, the Lord who is the shield around us!
If God is our shield, if we trust Him as the One who will lift up our head, who will deliver us from any and every situation - it is God who will tuck us in our beds, give us the sleep and rest we need, for He is the One who will sustain us.
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