Book Description

Over the last years of our country's war efforts, it has become apparent that one of the struggles of our warriors and their families is getting refreshing and restful sleep. There are many factors that contribute to this reality. Wartime training, operational schedules, traumatic experiences, family life stress, sleeping environments, and even diet can impact a warrior's ability to connect with their Creator's gift of sleep. While military agencies have connected with many in the medical and psychological field to address this problem, as a Chaplain, I was certain that the Scriptures could also be a resource for warriors' rest. One of the most influential warriors of the biblical tradition is King David. In the Book of Psalms, many of his reflections can be found on his combat and political experiences. As I have studied these with the theme of sleep and rest in mind, I have noticed key themes of rest that David wrestled with in the Psalms. Over the course of David's life, he faced various situations that brought on considerable levels of danger, stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. It was in these times that David learned to rest in a relationship with his God. My prayer is that the reflections found in this short book would encourage warriors and their families toward a relationship with God that follows in the footsteps of David. The book is divided into four chapters that follow a gradual development from night's distress, to perspective, onto praise and into hope for a new morning. While there are several other Psalms not written by David that address rest and sleep, I have selected the Psalms of this ancient warrior-king because of his correlating experiences with our contemporary warriors.