WOW: Sleep in Heavenly Peace

One of my favorite things about December is getting to listen to Christmas carols all month long. I hear them playing in every store I shop, every restaurant I eat at, every church I visit. I love that fact!

Perhaps the most universally recognized carol of all time is Silent Night:

Silent night, Holy night,
All is calm, all is bright,
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child,
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!

The Bible has a lot to say about sleeping in peace, including this week’s memory verse:

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.” – Psalm 4:8

It is interesting to think that the Holy Infant slept in peace, even as Herod sought to destroy Him. But God protected and kept Him safe. He warned the wise men not to report back to Herod, but to return home by a different way. He warned Joseph to flee with his family to Egypt, where they would be out of Herod’s reach.

I’m not sure who originated the thought, but it is absolutely true: “Safety does not depend upon the absence of danger, but upon the presence of the Holy Spirit.”

When God watches over us and protects us, we are safe — no matter what dangers might threaten us otherwise. (Stonewall Jackson went so far as to claim he felt as safe on the battlefield as at home in bed.)

God alone makes us dwell in safety. Isn’t that a comforting thought? That knowledge allowed the Psalmist to “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” without fear — because he knew God was with him to guide and protect and comfort him.

peaceful Slumber

I’ve never been prone to worry. I typically don’t toss and turn upon my mattress at night — rather, I’m out like a light as soon as my head hits the pillow.

That’s not to say that my nights are always silent and peaceful. As a mother of twelve, I’ve grown used to being woken up — often multiple times a night — by babies who have to nurse, or toddlers who’ve had a bad dream, or children who are feeling sick or need a drink or want a heating pad for growing pains.

Sometimes I sing songs to soothe my sleepless babes. My favorite go-to lullabies are just Bible verses set to music:

• Psalm 56:3 – “When I am afraid, I will trust in Him, I will trust in Him, I will trust in Him…” and
• Psalm 4:8 – “I will lie down and sleep, I will sleep in peace, I will lie down and sleep in peace…”

Next time you find yourself tossing and turning on your bed at night, try meditating on such verses yourself. Take them to heart, internalize their truth, and let them help you “sleep in heavenly peace… sleep in heavenly peace.”

This week’s verse can be found in the sixth set of our Scripture Memory Flashcards:

And for extra practice, I’ve made more handwriting printables, as well:

Plus, in case you missed them, here are links to the first five sets of flashcards and practice sheets, too:

• Scripture Memory Cards – Set 1
• Scripture Memory Cards – Set 2
• Scripture Memory Cards – Set 3
• Scripture Memory Cards – Set 4
• Scripture Memory Cards – Set 5
• Memory Verse Copywork – Set 1
• Memory Verse Copywork – Set 2
• Memory Verse Copywork – Set 3
• Memory Verse Copywork – Set 4
• Memory Verse Copywork – Set 5

And I’ve also uploaded a progress chart to help you keep track of which verses your child has already memorized (some of the verses listed are from sets of flashcards that will be published in the future).

May God honor your efforts to hide His Word in your heart!