Finding Rest in God: Renewal in the Middle of the Storm

During stressful events, sleep can be elusive. Night seems the longest when our minds won’t quiet, and we replay the day’s failures.

Click here to listen to this devotional written and narrated by Dr. Gladys Childs.

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

—Psalm 3:5, ESV

During stressful events, sleep can be elusive. Night seems the longest when our minds won’t quiet, and we replay the day’s failures. The future might feel like an unlit road when we’ve prayed the same prayer for so long that it’s lost its words. But take heart; God does not leave us to face our problems alone; He is our refuge.

We see God’s faithfulness with His beloved David, who wrote Psalm 3 while fleeing from his son to avoid a potential bloody conflict. The betrayal by his son was especially devastating. Yet, amid danger and extreme stress, David’s reliance on God enabled him to still say, “I lay down and slept.”

That David could sleep during such circumstances might sound impossible to anyone who has stared at the ceiling at 3:00 a.m., pulse racing. Yet, we can find genuine rest and renewal in God, not only after our problems end, but even while they rage, because our Savior is in control, provides respite, and covers us.

Rest in God During the Storm

Despite his horrific predicament, David could lie down and sleep because he knew who sustained him. The Hebrew word for sustained means upheld, carried, and nourished. God, our sustainer, keeps His hands under us so we don’t collapse and keeps watch while we sleep, refusing to let our stories end in defeat.

We often forget God’s free provision and care, though, and keep trying to earn our rest. We convince ourselves that if we could finish the project, heal the relationship, and conquer our schedules, then we could breathe and relax. But rest in the Lord is not a reward for getting everything under control. It’s a gift from God, who knows what we need and holds everything together for us.

However, our culture celebrates exhaustion, thinking it proves our value. The more we wear ourselves out, the more people assume we’re doing something right. But Abba wants us, His beloved daughters, to avoid burnout. In God’s kingdom, strength comes from surrender, renewal comes from stopping, and sleep becomes an act of trust. Closing our eyes tonight is like saying, “God, You’re strong enough to keep watch without our help.”

Sleep as Spiritual Warfare

David acted on his trust in God for rest and renewal. Think about it: David’s enemies surrounded him, but he still rested. That was defiance, not defense. His sleep protested fear—declaring the threats surrounding him weren’t as strong as the God above him.

We, too, might need to fight fear tonight—not with another solution or late-night strategy session, but with a holy defiance that means we will not stay awake trying to save ourselves. Sleeping is a strength, not a weakness. Whenever we shut our eyes, we allow God, who is more powerful than the storm, to be our Savior.

Isaiah 30:15 (ESV) explains: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. But you were unwilling.” That last part stings. God’s people missed that saving grace because they refused to stop running. What if we find renewal by surrendering instead of waiting for a better plan? Could our breakthrough begin when we let God sustain us through the night and stop holding onto the outcome? What if we stop running?

Friends, will you stop wrestling with your thoughts and trust God to quiet your soul?

God’s unshakable hands sustain us, requiring nothing from us but trust.

Needing sleep reminds us of our human limits and Heavenly Father’s limitless care. Sleep says, “I can’t, but God can.” So tonight, try not to collapse into bed. Instead, gently surrender to sleep and God’s care. Whisper Psalm 3:5 as you close your eyes and let God renew you. When morning comes, let your awakening be your proof: finding rest in God and renewal during the storm are possible if we trust Him, and that will carry you through.

Connect with Dr. Gladys Childs

https://www.gladyschilds.com/

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