- My guess is you're
not likely sleeping enough,
00:00:00.96\00:00:02.83
and I'm also
guessing you'd probably like
00:00:02.83\00:00:04.90
to sleep a little more.
00:00:04.90\00:00:06.43
And the reason I know that is
because you're probably living
00:00:06.43\00:00:09.17
the Western average
when it comes to sleep.
00:00:09.17\00:00:11.64
Experts say you should be
getting eight hours a night,
00:00:11.64\00:00:13.94
but something like 2/3 of us,
00:00:13.94\00:00:15.74
aren't getting
anywhere near that much.
00:00:15.74\00:00:18.21
Me, most nights,
four, five hours, maybe.
00:00:18.21\00:00:21.68
So if you're
feeling a little exhausted,
00:00:21.68\00:00:23.25
you might wanna prop your
eyelids open and stick around
00:00:23.25\00:00:25.89
because today I'm
gonna take a look at
00:00:25.89\00:00:27.49
one of the most
fundamental skills we need
00:00:27.49\00:00:29.66
to live in authentic existence,
00:00:29.66\00:00:31.83
the ability to just
turn everything off.
00:00:31.83\00:00:34.73
[light music]
00:00:34.73\00:00:37.30
I don't know how the
average night goes for you,
00:00:55.48\00:00:57.85
but lemme tell you
how it happens for me.
00:00:57.85\00:01:00.82
The older I get the
earlier I want to go to bed
00:01:00.82\00:01:04.69
and years ago, I used to
make fun of my grandparents
00:01:04.69\00:01:07.76
because they liked to have
a cup of cocoa at about 8:30,
00:01:07.76\00:01:11.57
and by nine o'clock, lights out.
00:01:11.57\00:01:14.60
Now, 40 years
ago, that seemed to me
00:01:14.60\00:01:16.81
like such an old
person thing to do.
00:01:16.81\00:01:19.81
Now, however, in my
sixth decade of life, 8:30,
00:01:19.81\00:01:22.88
well, that's
starting to look pretty good.
00:01:22.88\00:01:25.55
So if I'm not out traveling,
if I'm not speaking somewhere,
00:01:25.55\00:01:28.82
that's exactly
what I do, 8:30 bedtime,
00:01:28.82\00:01:32.52
but no matter how
early I get in bed,
00:01:32.52\00:01:34.89
I still lie there wide
awake for two or three hours
00:01:34.89\00:01:39.33
before I even begin to
feel a little bit drowsy.
00:01:39.33\00:01:42.26
And I know what some of you
are thinking, you're thinking,
00:01:42.26\00:01:44.70
well, why didn't
you just get up earlier
00:01:44.70\00:01:46.30
in the morning, Shawn,
00:01:46.30\00:01:47.84
and then you'll be more
tired at bedtime at night?
00:01:47.84\00:01:49.97
But I do.
00:01:49.97\00:01:51.47
I mean, it's a pretty
rare day when I'm not awake
00:01:51.47\00:01:53.21
by four something in the
morning or five something
00:01:53.21\00:01:55.98
at the very latest and I
walk about seven miles a day,
00:01:55.98\00:01:59.75
I almost never
eat in the evening
00:01:59.75\00:02:01.35
and I never drink
caffeine and still it takes me
00:02:01.35\00:02:04.79
at least two or three
hours to fall asleep at night.
00:02:04.79\00:02:08.49
And I think one of the
biggest problems I've got
00:02:09.89\00:02:11.53
is the fact that I can't
seem to turn the world off
00:02:11.53\00:02:15.60
because how do you just
stop thinking about stuff?
00:02:15.60\00:02:19.17
I mean, how do you
stop thinking about
00:02:19.17\00:02:21.07
what happened during the day
00:02:21.07\00:02:22.57
and how do you stop
working on the problems
00:02:22.57\00:02:24.94
that still need to be solved?
00:02:24.94\00:02:27.21
And if there's some
kinda crisis going on
00:02:27.21\00:02:29.44
and you know there's
always some kinda crisis,
00:02:29.44\00:02:32.55
well, then I can't
stop thinking about that.
00:02:32.55\00:02:35.05
So I promise you, I
am easily one of the most
00:02:35.05\00:02:38.79
sleep deprived people
on the face of the planet.
00:02:38.79\00:02:42.36
And while you might not be
00:02:42.36\00:02:43.83
as radically
sleep impaired as I am,
00:02:43.83\00:02:46.66
the national average
tells me that 2/3 of you
00:02:46.66\00:02:50.63
are squeaking by
on not enough sleep.
00:02:50.63\00:02:54.04
And I don't need to tell you,
00:02:54.04\00:02:55.54
that is gonna catch up
with you in the long run.
00:02:55.54\00:02:57.61
I don't wanna scare you,
00:02:57.61\00:02:59.51
man, maybe I wanna
scare you just a little bit,
00:02:59.51\00:03:01.71
but not getting
enough sleep seems to be
00:03:01.71\00:03:03.98
a key factor among
people who develop Alzheimer's.
00:03:03.98\00:03:07.45
Just a little bit
of sleep deprivation
00:03:07.45\00:03:09.78
makes your blood sugar
look like you're pre-diabetic
00:03:09.78\00:03:13.05
and it contributes to things
like coronary heart disease,
00:03:13.05\00:03:16.16
stroke, depression, and anxiety.
00:03:16.16\00:03:19.79
And now that I've
drawn your attention to that,
00:03:19.79\00:03:21.83
I guess this show might also be
00:03:21.83\00:03:23.53
a contributing
factor for anxiety.
00:03:23.53\00:03:26.53
Here's the weird thing about it,
00:03:26.53\00:03:28.34
for all the advancement
we've made in medical science,
00:03:28.34\00:03:31.11
one of the biggest
mysteries we continue to face is
00:03:31.11\00:03:34.24
how sleep works.
00:03:34.24\00:03:36.44
I mean, if you think about it,
00:03:36.44\00:03:37.81
sleep is a really weird thing.
00:03:37.81\00:03:40.48
Most people spend
roughly a third of their lives
00:03:40.48\00:03:43.72
completely unconscious,
immobilized, defenseless.
00:03:43.72\00:03:48.32
And for those of
you who might subscribe
00:03:48.32\00:03:50.19
to the theory of evolution,
00:03:50.19\00:03:52.03
going to sleep doesn't
make a lot of sense because,
00:03:52.03\00:03:55.93
well, what advantage could
you possibly have for survival
00:03:55.93\00:03:58.80
if you're out cold
a third of your life?
00:03:58.80\00:04:02.10
I mean, theoretically sleeping
animals are a late night
00:04:02.10\00:04:05.57
all you can eat buffet
for night prowling carnivores.
00:04:05.57\00:04:08.84
So I'm not sure it
makes a whole lot of sense.
00:04:08.84\00:04:11.78
So why in the world do we sleep?
00:04:12.81\00:04:15.35
Now, there are all
kinds of books out there
00:04:15.35\00:04:17.19
that try to explain it,
00:04:17.19\00:04:18.45
and because I'm
such a horrible sleeper,
00:04:18.45\00:04:20.46
I've spent a lot of
time waiting through
00:04:20.46\00:04:23.02
the sleep literature, and
what we do know about sleep,
00:04:23.02\00:04:27.03
well, it's pretty fascinating
00:04:27.03\00:04:28.43
and because this
isn't a science show,
00:04:28.43\00:04:30.07
I won't bore you with
all of the data except to say
00:04:30.07\00:04:34.07
that sleep appears to be
one of the last frontiers
00:04:34.07\00:04:37.24
of scientific discovery.
00:04:37.24\00:04:39.34
I mean, what
exactly is your brain doing
00:04:39.34\00:04:42.28
when you're lying there
drooling on your pillow?
00:04:42.28\00:04:45.31
Well, here's what we do know,
00:04:45.31\00:04:47.05
we know that the body does
repairs while you're sleeping,
00:04:47.05\00:04:50.59
which might be one of
the reasons we seem to crave
00:04:50.59\00:04:53.15
more bedrest when
we're feeling a little ill.
00:04:53.15\00:04:56.36
And we know that your
brain isn't completely inactive
00:04:56.36\00:04:59.13
when you're sleeping because,
00:04:59.13\00:05:00.63
well, you spend a good
chunk of the night dreaming,
00:05:00.63\00:05:04.23
which appears to
be the brain's way
00:05:04.23\00:05:06.07
of cleaning up your hard drive.
00:05:06.07\00:05:08.30
It takes new memories from
the day you just experienced
00:05:08.30\00:05:11.54
and it finds a place to store
them in your longterm memory,
00:05:11.54\00:05:15.28
and then it works on cleaning
up the neural connections
00:05:15.28\00:05:17.68
that you no longer need.
00:05:17.68\00:05:19.61
So you might think of it
as defragging your hard drive
00:05:19.61\00:05:23.62
and the stuff you
can learn from dreaming,
00:05:23.62\00:05:26.59
well, that's
absolutely fascinating.
00:05:26.59\00:05:28.99
I mean, have you
ever wondered why it is
00:05:28.99\00:05:30.79
when you're fast asleep,
you'll suddenly remember things
00:05:30.79\00:05:33.83
from your childhood that
you haven't remembered in years,
00:05:33.83\00:05:37.10
and it will be all
mixed in with stuff
00:05:37.10\00:05:38.63
that happened
today or this past week?
00:05:38.63\00:05:41.70
It's almost like
your brain is taking
00:05:41.70\00:05:44.11
all that stuff from right now,
00:05:44.11\00:05:46.27
and it's looking
for a place to store it,
00:05:46.27\00:05:48.48
some kinda hook to hang it on,
00:05:48.48\00:05:50.68
and that hook might be a
very old childhood memory.
00:05:50.68\00:05:54.62
You know, when they
study your brain waves
00:05:56.02\00:05:57.85
as you're
dreaming, at some points,
00:05:57.85\00:06:00.16
it almost looks
like you're wide awake.
00:06:00.16\00:06:02.39
I mean, it looks like a
big chaotic mess of signals,
00:06:02.39\00:06:05.19
neurons firing all over the
place everywhere in your brain.
00:06:05.19\00:06:09.73
And if your brain wasn't wired
00:06:09.73\00:06:11.67
to paralyze you
while you're dreaming,
00:06:11.67\00:06:13.60
you'd probably act out your
dreams and really hurt yourself.
00:06:13.60\00:06:17.31
You be getting up and
moving around in the dark,
00:06:17.31\00:06:19.61
smashing into things, walking
off ledges, trying to fly,
00:06:19.61\00:06:22.74
or whatever else it is you
happen to be dreaming about.
00:06:22.74\00:06:26.85
That's what happens
during rapid eye movement
00:06:26.85\00:06:30.15
when your brain is highly active
00:06:30.15\00:06:32.02
and it produces
measurable brainwaves,
00:06:32.02\00:06:34.96
and this goes on
about every 90 minutes
00:06:34.96\00:06:37.46
while you're sleeping.
00:06:37.46\00:06:39.06
But there's
another part of sleep
00:06:39.06\00:06:41.93
and I don't wanna
freak you out too much,
00:06:41.93\00:06:44.23
but there's
another part of sleep
00:06:44.23\00:06:45.53
when you're
almost not there at all.
00:06:45.53\00:06:47.84
They call it NREM or
non-rapid eye movement,
00:06:47.84\00:06:52.84
and this is what's going on
in your brain between dreams
00:06:52.84\00:06:56.04
mostly during the
first hours of the night.
00:06:56.04\00:07:00.42
Non-rapid eye movement
is this moment in your brain
00:07:00.42\00:07:03.62
when you are
absolutely unconscious,
00:07:03.62\00:07:06.12
you are receiving
no outside stimuli.
00:07:06.12\00:07:09.82
And how it happens
is really pretty weird.
00:07:09.82\00:07:13.13
Right behind your forehead,
00:07:13.13\00:07:15.03
right here at
the top of your face,
00:07:15.03\00:07:16.73
just below where your hair
used to be when you were 20,
00:07:16.73\00:07:19.97
your brain starts
sending out deep, slow waves
00:07:19.97\00:07:23.91
of information and it
radiates from the front
00:07:23.91\00:07:26.27
all the way back
through your brain,
00:07:26.27\00:07:28.88
but it doesn't go
equally in every direction,
00:07:28.88\00:07:31.05
it travels from the front
of your brain to the back,
00:07:31.05\00:07:34.68
kind of like having a
tiny little speaker mounted at
00:07:34.68\00:07:37.52
the front of your skull, that's
pointed directly backwards.
00:07:37.52\00:07:40.49
And when these slow
deep waves begin to pulse,
00:07:40.49\00:07:44.63
well, the
weirdest thing happens,
00:07:44.63\00:07:47.20
usually the various parts
of your brain are firing off
00:07:47.20\00:07:49.76
at the same time creating
what looks like chaos because
00:07:49.76\00:07:53.07
all the various
information centers of your mind
00:07:53.07\00:07:55.34
are just doing their own thing,
00:07:55.34\00:07:56.71
almost
independent of each other,
00:07:56.71\00:07:59.44
but when this deep
non-rapid eye movement happens,
00:07:59.44\00:08:02.98
it's like all the
cells in your brain hear
00:08:02.98\00:08:05.71
the music from that
tiny speaker at the front,
00:08:05.71\00:08:08.35
they all stop
what the they're doing,
00:08:08.35\00:08:10.32
and they all fall in line
00:08:10.32\00:08:12.15
and join the
pulsations from the front,
00:08:12.15\00:08:15.26
kinda like billions of
little obedient cult members
00:08:15.26\00:08:18.59
chanting together.
00:08:18.59\00:08:19.76
It's almost like a
bad science fiction movie
00:08:20.96\00:08:23.53
from the 1950s were a
bunch of body snatchers
00:08:23.53\00:08:26.43
have taken over the
brains of earthlings
00:08:26.43\00:08:28.27
and when the mothership
sends out an eerie noise,
00:08:28.27\00:08:31.21
everybody stops
what they're doing,
00:08:31.21\00:08:32.97
they all face in
the same direction
00:08:32.97\00:08:34.81
and begin
chanting the same note.
00:08:34.81\00:08:37.95
And what appears to be happening
is that the brain cells,
00:08:37.95\00:08:41.88
the neurons, they're all firing
off in slow, steady unison,
00:08:41.88\00:08:46.89
and the brain
appears to be connecting
00:08:47.99\00:08:49.49
the various regions of the
brain and harmonizing them.
00:08:49.49\00:08:53.29
And from what I understand,
00:08:53.29\00:08:54.93
this is when you're
actually storing your memories
00:08:54.93\00:08:57.43
and cleaning them up,
all the parts of the brain
00:08:57.43\00:09:00.50
start talking to each
other and cooperating,
00:09:00.50\00:09:03.44
and then when that's finished,
you start dreaming again.
00:09:03.44\00:09:07.54
So from what I can tell
sleep is pretty important
00:09:07.54\00:09:10.71
for your mental wellbeing.
00:09:10.71\00:09:12.65
And maybe this is why we
have so much trouble focusing,
00:09:12.65\00:09:15.55
you know, connecting the
dots when we're sleep deprived,
00:09:15.55\00:09:18.75
and maybe it's why we have
trouble performing delicate
00:09:18.75\00:09:22.59
tasks or giving a speech
or forming coherent sentences
00:09:22.59\00:09:26.26
when we haven't slept in days,
00:09:26.26\00:09:28.46
the brain just hasn't had
a chance to clean itself up,
00:09:28.46\00:09:33.20
but then suddenly you
get a good night's sleep,
00:09:33.20\00:09:36.14
and now you're
on top of the world
00:09:36.14\00:09:37.77
and you can remember things
00:09:37.77\00:09:39.21
and you have an
easier time just living.
00:09:39.21\00:09:43.14
Now, I've gotta
take a quick break,
00:09:43.14\00:09:44.75
so go and do
what you need to do,
00:09:44.75\00:09:46.35
maybe take a quick
nap for your brain's sake
00:09:46.35\00:09:48.45
and I'll be right back.
00:09:48.45\00:09:50.02
- [Announcer] Are
you searching for answers
00:09:53.59\00:09:54.82
to life's
toughest questions like,
00:09:54.82\00:09:56.93
where is God when we suffer?
00:09:56.93\00:09:58.73
Can I find real happiness?
00:09:58.73\00:10:00.56
Or is there any hope
for our chaotic world?
00:10:00.56\00:10:03.67
The Discover Bible
guides will help you find
00:10:03.67\00:10:05.57
the answers you're looking for.
00:10:05.57\00:10:07.44
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or give us a
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00:10:10.04\00:10:12.77
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00:10:26.15\00:10:29.29
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00:10:30.73\00:10:32.96
and " A Second Chance at Life".
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00:10:35.13\00:10:37.50
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00:10:40.17\00:10:44.27
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00:10:44.27\00:10:48.04
- Our fascination with the
phenomenon of sleep dates back
00:10:53.68\00:10:57.89
a really, really long time.
00:10:57.89\00:11:01.06
Back in the ancient
world, the Egyptians,
00:11:01.06\00:11:03.86
or at least the
wealthy ones who had spare time
00:11:03.86\00:11:06.23
and education, they would
carefully write down their
00:11:06.23\00:11:10.37
dreams because they were pretty
sure the dreams meant something.
00:11:10.37\00:11:14.24
The same was true of
the ancient Assyrians,
00:11:14.24\00:11:16.14
who based their
capital in the city of Nineveh.
00:11:16.14\00:11:19.11
So when we went
excavating Nineveh
00:11:19.11\00:11:21.48
toward the end
of the 19th century,
00:11:21.48\00:11:23.85
we suddenly
discovered the library
00:11:23.85\00:11:25.78
of the Assyrian
king Ashurbanipal,
00:11:25.78\00:11:28.22
and what we found was a
significant number of books
00:11:28.22\00:11:31.55
that dealt with the
interpretation of dreams.
00:11:31.55\00:11:34.56
And what really surprised
us in those books is the fact
00:11:34.56\00:11:38.49
that those ancient writings
said the very same things
00:11:38.49\00:11:42.63
as those dream
interpretation books
00:11:42.63\00:11:44.33
you can find in the new age
section of a bookstore today,
00:11:44.33\00:11:48.24
because it seems
while the original writings
00:11:48.24\00:11:50.97
were buried in
the rubble of Nineveh,
00:11:50.97\00:11:53.04
there were other copies made,
00:11:53.04\00:11:55.04
that made their
way all over the world
00:11:55.04\00:11:58.25
and medieval Europeans
had those ancient ideas
00:11:58.25\00:12:01.02
and they stole them.
00:12:01.02\00:12:02.68
And today all books
about dream interpretation
00:12:02.68\00:12:05.15
are based on that European
plagiarism of very ancient
00:12:05.15\00:12:10.06
ideas. But I'm getting
off subject a little bit.
00:12:11.23\00:12:13.70
We all know instinctively that
sleep is really good for you,
00:12:13.70\00:12:17.77
and we've known
that since the beginning
00:12:17.77\00:12:19.27
of recorded history,
00:12:19.27\00:12:21.17
the problem is that most
of us aren't doing it right
00:12:21.17\00:12:24.84
and it's taking a toll
on our physical health,
00:12:24.84\00:12:27.54
and it's taking a
toll on our mental health
00:12:27.54\00:12:30.25
and we're starting to pay a
really big price to the point
00:12:30.25\00:12:34.12
where I actually wonder
with all of the political unrest
00:12:34.12\00:12:37.05
and all the
protests in the street
00:12:37.05\00:12:39.15
and the way that people
ruthlessly attack each other
00:12:39.15\00:12:42.32
online every single day and we
seem to be losing our civility,
00:12:42.32\00:12:45.83
well, I wonder how
much of that would go away
00:12:45.83\00:12:48.43
or at least calm down
if we just got enough rest.
00:12:48.43\00:12:53.17
I mean, I don't mean to
minimize the problems because
00:12:53.17\00:12:55.67
this is certainly not the
panacea, it's not the solution,
00:12:55.67\00:12:58.77
but I do find myself
wondering if it's not a factor.
00:12:58.77\00:13:01.01
If we're all sleep deprived,
00:13:01.01\00:13:02.48
or we're behaving badly at
least in part because of that?
00:13:02.48\00:13:06.21
Now, before I go any
further, lemme just say this,
00:13:06.21\00:13:08.58
I kinda knew I'd be
taking a risk by going public
00:13:08.58\00:13:11.72
with my own
insomnia today because,
00:13:11.72\00:13:14.36
well, every time I
get on air and say,
00:13:14.36\00:13:15.69
"Here's what's
wrong in my life,"
00:13:15.69\00:13:17.23
I start getting all kinds
of helpful letters in the mail.
00:13:17.23\00:13:21.63
And I know people mean well,
00:13:21.63\00:13:23.50
you know, they wanna
help me solve the problem,
00:13:23.50\00:13:25.53
but honestly I
don't want the letters,
00:13:25.53\00:13:27.60
I don't need any
solutions because believe me,
00:13:27.60\00:13:30.21
I live a very happy existence
00:13:30.21\00:13:31.94
and I've already
explored every known alternative
00:13:31.94\00:13:35.48
for getting a better
night's sleep, all of them.
00:13:35.48\00:13:37.88
I've been to sleep
labs, I've tried supplements,
00:13:37.88\00:13:41.55
cold showers before bed,
00:13:41.55\00:13:43.49
I've done everything
that has ever been tried,
00:13:43.49\00:13:46.52
and there's one
thing I've discovered
00:13:46.52\00:13:48.86
that does work
better than anything else.
00:13:48.86\00:13:52.26
And even though
I'm far from conquering
00:13:52.26\00:13:54.13
the problem of
sleeplessness completely,
00:13:54.13\00:13:56.97
there's something I have
found that has made life,
00:13:56.97\00:13:59.47
well, a whole lot better,
00:13:59.47\00:14:01.07
something that was
written thousands of years ago.
00:14:01.07\00:14:04.87
It's found in
the Book of Psalms,
00:14:06.94\00:14:08.88
and maybe I'll
just take a minute
00:14:08.88\00:14:10.05
and read some of this to you.
00:14:10.05\00:14:11.98
If you happen to have
a Bible at your house,
00:14:11.98\00:14:14.35
maybe go and get it so
that you can follow along.
00:14:14.35\00:14:16.95
I mean, I'm gonna put the verses
here on the screen for you,
00:14:16.95\00:14:19.52
but it's always good
to see it for yourself
00:14:19.52\00:14:22.06
in the pages of your own Bible.
00:14:22.06\00:14:23.86
So here we go now, Psalm 4.
00:14:23.86\00:14:27.86
Now the language here
might be a little bit archaic
00:14:27.86\00:14:30.23
and the author may have
lived like 3,000 years ago,
00:14:30.23\00:14:34.14
but I want you to notice that
00:14:34.14\00:14:35.34
not a whole lot has
changed in 3,000 years.
00:14:35.34\00:14:39.27
So we're gonna parse
this pretty carefully
00:14:39.27\00:14:41.84
and spend a bit of
time waiting through
00:14:41.84\00:14:43.51
what I think is some
really good information.
00:14:43.51\00:14:46.28
This Psalm, Psalm 4
was written by a guy
00:14:46.28\00:14:49.45
who couldn't sleep.
00:14:49.45\00:14:50.85
And the reason he
couldn't sleep was because,
00:14:50.85\00:14:52.59
well, he had problems.
00:14:52.59\00:14:54.42
So even if you
don't find all the answers
00:14:54.42\00:14:56.62
you're looking for right
now, you can still take heart
00:14:56.62\00:14:59.19
that many other people
have lived through this.
00:14:59.19\00:15:01.73
And I think you'll
find that what this guy says
00:15:01.73\00:15:04.10
is a pretty good starting point
00:15:04.10\00:15:05.67
for finding a
little more peace of mind.
00:15:05.67\00:15:08.54
So here we go now, Psalm
4, starting in verse one.
00:15:08.54\00:15:12.01
He writes,
00:15:12.01\00:15:13.27
"Hear me when I call, O
God of my righteousness!
00:15:13.27\00:15:16.88
"You have
relieved me in my distress,
00:15:16.88\00:15:18.75
"have mercy on me,
and hear my prayer."
00:15:18.75\00:15:23.12
Now, I don't know what kinda
problems you're dealing with,
00:15:23.12\00:15:26.15
and I have no idea if you're
a religious person or not,
00:15:26.15\00:15:29.32
but I'm guessing
that at some point
00:15:29.32\00:15:31.23
you have cried out to God in
the quiet hours of the night.
00:15:31.23\00:15:34.83
Now, maybe you don't
believe there is a God
00:15:34.83\00:15:36.43
or even like the idea of
God, but I'm telling you,
00:15:36.43\00:15:39.03
the odds are at some
point at two in the morning,
00:15:39.03\00:15:41.60
you have knocked on His door
00:15:41.60\00:15:43.51
when you're at
the end of your rope.
00:15:43.51\00:15:46.01
So here's what's
going on with this passage.
00:15:46.01\00:15:49.04
You've got a guy who
did everything right,
00:15:49.04\00:15:51.08
he lives a righteous life.
00:15:51.08\00:15:52.65
He's a good man
and he tries hard,
00:15:52.65\00:15:54.98
but his life is
still full of problems.
00:15:54.98\00:15:57.65
This is why he
refers to the Creator
00:15:57.65\00:16:00.26
as the God of my righteousness.
00:16:00.26\00:16:02.72
He's basically
appealing to God saying,
00:16:02.72\00:16:04.76
listen, you know
I'm down here trying,
00:16:04.76\00:16:07.23
you know my cause is righteous
00:16:07.23\00:16:09.16
and I'm doing
all the right things,
00:16:09.16\00:16:10.77
so would you please,
please just listen to me.
00:16:10.77\00:16:15.24
Now, if I'm perfectly honest,
00:16:15.24\00:16:16.74
I'll have to admit I've
been here more than once.
00:16:16.74\00:16:19.37
I might be an ordained minister,
00:16:19.37\00:16:20.94
I might have credentials
in my wallet that say
00:16:20.94\00:16:23.68
I'm a member of the clergy,
but I've got to tell you,
00:16:23.68\00:16:26.82
that does nothing but
make me anything but human.
00:16:26.82\00:16:31.35
I know a lot of the preachers
on TV right now will tell you
00:16:31.35\00:16:34.19
that following God is some
kind of a ticket to easy street,
00:16:34.19\00:16:37.46
but I gotta tell
you that's not true.
00:16:37.46\00:16:39.73
I don't mind admitting to you,
00:16:39.73\00:16:41.50
I have personally
hit the breaking point
00:16:41.50\00:16:43.80
more than once in my life.
00:16:43.80\00:16:45.80
I have come to the point where
I know that if one more thing
00:16:45.80\00:16:49.10
in my life goes sideways,
I'm probably gonna snap.
00:16:49.10\00:16:53.34
And the reason I'm
telling you this is because
00:16:53.34\00:16:55.64
that's where this
Psalm is coming from,
00:16:55.64\00:16:57.68
this is a guy at
the end of his rope.
00:16:57.68\00:16:59.41
He's running out of
ideas, he has no more solutions,
00:16:59.41\00:17:03.32
so he's wide awake in bed
and he takes his case to God
00:17:03.32\00:17:06.69
and his problems stem
from the way other people
00:17:06.69\00:17:09.46
are treating him,
00:17:09.46\00:17:11.06
which is something I know
you've experienced that too.
00:17:11.06\00:17:15.33
It's pretty much a
part of everybody's life.
00:17:15.33\00:17:18.13
So he's talking to God,
00:17:18.13\00:17:19.37
and then he turns
and talks to the people
00:17:19.37\00:17:21.27
who are
bothering him in verse two.
00:17:21.27\00:17:23.91
"How long,' he says to them,
00:17:23.91\00:17:25.37
"O you sons of men, will
you turn my glory to shame?
00:17:25.37\00:17:28.38
"How long will you
love worthlessness and seek
00:17:28.38\00:17:31.98
falsehood? "But know that the
Lord has set apart for Himself
00:17:31.98\00:17:35.12
"him who is godly, the Lord
will hear when I call to Him."
00:17:35.12\00:17:39.72
So he's looking at the
people who live around him,
00:17:41.09\00:17:43.16
the people who are
doing life well wrong,
00:17:43.16\00:17:46.36
and he's
contemplating the difference.
00:17:46.36\00:17:48.73
Those people are dishonest,
00:17:48.73\00:17:50.73
they're wasting their
lives doing ungodly things,
00:17:50.73\00:17:53.74
but on the outside
their lives seem like
00:17:53.74\00:17:55.94
it's going pretty good.
00:17:55.94\00:17:57.41
And it's tempting to
wanna be those other people
00:17:57.41\00:17:59.67
because it looks
like their life is easier,
00:17:59.67\00:18:02.48
but then the
psalmist reminds himself that
00:18:02.48\00:18:04.35
because he has
chosen the righteous life,
00:18:04.35\00:18:06.82
because he wants to live
in harmony with Almighty God,
00:18:06.82\00:18:10.32
he's actually got the ear
of the Creator of the universe.
00:18:10.32\00:18:13.76
In the quiet hours of
the night when he seems
00:18:13.76\00:18:15.99
to be alone with his problems,
00:18:15.99\00:18:17.59
he suddenly remembers
that God actually hears him.
00:18:17.59\00:18:21.66
And in light of that,
00:18:21.66\00:18:23.06
he comes up with
some really good advice,
00:18:23.06\00:18:25.00
and this personally is
where I've found a few keys
00:18:25.00\00:18:27.44
to solving my own
anxious sleeplessness.
00:18:27.44\00:18:29.87
I mean, listen to this
in verse four, it says,
00:18:29.87\00:18:32.87
"Be angry and do not sin."
00:18:32.87\00:18:35.54
Now, in the original language,
00:18:35.54\00:18:36.91
it's more like be
agitated and do not sin.
00:18:36.91\00:18:40.35
"Meditate within your heart
on your bed, and be still."
00:18:40.35\00:18:45.05
So the first thing
he does is acknowledge
00:18:45.05\00:18:47.46
that he's agitated,
00:18:47.46\00:18:49.02
and instead of
wallowing in that emotion,
00:18:49.02\00:18:51.46
he gives himself
permission to step aside
00:18:51.46\00:18:53.66
and think about it.
00:18:53.66\00:18:55.13
And what that does is let
you step outside of yourself
00:18:55.13\00:18:58.00
and get a new
perspective on the problem.
00:18:58.00\00:19:00.50
You put aside the
deeply personal nature
00:19:00.50\00:19:02.50
of your problems
for just a few minutes
00:19:02.50\00:19:04.27
and you start to
look at them rationally,
00:19:04.27\00:19:06.94
almost like there's
someone else's problems
00:19:06.94\00:19:09.18
and you're helping
them think it through.
00:19:09.18\00:19:12.31
And I don't know if
you've ever noticed this,
00:19:12.31\00:19:13.68
but somebody else's problems,
00:19:13.68\00:19:15.78
they don't make you anywhere
near as anxious as your own,
00:19:15.78\00:19:19.02
and you can gain a far
better degree of objectivity.
00:19:19.02\00:19:22.89
So the first key is
to take your problems
00:19:22.89\00:19:25.83
and pretend that
you're helping somebody else.
00:19:25.83\00:19:28.33
Now, I've gotta
take another quick break
00:19:28.33\00:19:30.20
and I'll be right
back with a few more keys
00:19:30.20\00:19:32.30
to help you with your problems.
00:19:32.30\00:19:34.07
- [Announcer] Here at
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00:19:36.00\00:19:37.47
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- Okay, we're in Psalm
4, where the author gives
00:20:06.17\00:20:08.84
himself permission
to just be agitated.
00:20:08.84\00:20:12.37
And he
determines at the same time
00:20:12.37\00:20:14.71
that he's not going to sin.
00:20:14.71\00:20:16.18
He's not gonna behave
badly because of his problems,
00:20:16.18\00:20:19.01
and then he chooses to stay
in bed and think things through.
00:20:19.01\00:20:22.82
He meditates on the problem,
00:20:22.82\00:20:24.39
almost as if he's
working on it for somebody else.
00:20:24.39\00:20:27.86
And I know that's
easier said than done,
00:20:27.86\00:20:29.89
but let's keep reading,
verse five now, it says,
00:20:29.89\00:20:33.19
"Offer the
sacrifices of righteousness,
00:20:33.19\00:20:36.23
"and put your
trust in the Lord."
00:20:36.23\00:20:39.67
So here's what he's
doing, he's making a choice.
00:20:39.67\00:20:42.97
He has the right to be agitated,
00:20:42.97\00:20:45.11
he has the right
to be frustrated,
00:20:45.11\00:20:47.14
but at the same
time, he makes a choice.
00:20:47.14\00:20:49.68
His response to frustration
is not going to violate
00:20:49.68\00:20:53.72
the principles of righteousness.
00:20:53.72\00:20:55.48
He's not gonna
let a little setback
00:20:55.48\00:20:57.19
pull him off the righteous path.
00:20:57.19\00:20:58.95
And because of the
Bible is a very honest book,
00:20:58.95\00:21:01.86
he mentions that taking
that step means trusting.
00:21:01.86\00:21:06.26
I mean, when you're
dealing with panicky thoughts
00:21:06.26\00:21:08.03
in the middle of the night,
00:21:08.03\00:21:09.23
it's tempting to
take the easy way out,
00:21:09.23\00:21:10.73
it's tempting to
just do the wrong thing,
00:21:10.73\00:21:12.47
to get the
problem off your plate,
00:21:12.47\00:21:15.27
but no matter how bad things
get, you still have a choice,
00:21:15.27\00:21:18.97
even when you
don't feel like you do,
00:21:18.97\00:21:21.08
because no matter
what you're facing,
00:21:21.08\00:21:22.61
you can still
consciously choose to trust
00:21:22.61\00:21:25.95
that God will handle it.
00:21:25.95\00:21:27.45
So on a personal
note, here's what I do,
00:21:28.58\00:21:30.35
I keep a note pad or an
iPad right beside my bed
00:21:30.35\00:21:33.69
and when those middle
of the night anxieties
00:21:33.69\00:21:35.69
begin to torture me, I
simply write them down.
00:21:35.69\00:21:38.86
And what I'm doing
is taking the position
00:21:38.86\00:21:40.56
that I am God's child.
00:21:40.56\00:21:42.00
So these are
really God's problems
00:21:42.00\00:21:45.10
and then we discuss
those problems together.
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.77
Let's say the roof on my
house is leaking, so I say,
00:21:47.77\00:21:49.94
Lord, this is
your house, not mine
00:21:49.94\00:21:52.47
and you know I don't have
the money to fix this problem,
00:21:52.47\00:21:54.71
but you have all the
resources in the world
00:21:54.71\00:21:56.68
so I'm gonna leave it with you
00:21:56.68\00:21:58.35
and I will be
your property manager.
00:21:58.35\00:22:01.62
So what I'm doing is
working on the problem
00:22:01.62\00:22:03.79
like I'm helping somebody else,
00:22:03.79\00:22:05.85
and now it no longer
looks like the massive threat
00:22:05.85\00:22:08.69
that it used to be.
00:22:08.69\00:22:10.16
And when you take that position,
00:22:10.16\00:22:11.69
you'd be surprised how often
a solution suddenly shows up
00:22:11.69\00:22:14.30
because you got out of the
way and you let God take over.
00:22:14.30\00:22:19.30
Now, my instinct is to
get up at two in the morning
00:22:20.74\00:22:22.30
and implement the
solution right away,
00:22:22.30\00:22:24.31
but that's not
rational thinking,
00:22:24.31\00:22:26.04
so I take the pad
and I write it down.
00:22:26.04\00:22:28.24
And just the act of
writing out a potential solution
00:22:28.24\00:22:31.25
or even several
potential solutions,
00:22:31.25\00:22:33.62
well, that really
leases my mind from worry
00:22:33.62\00:22:36.55
because when I get
up the next morning
00:22:36.55\00:22:38.05
I'm still gonna remember
the discussion I had with God.
00:22:38.05\00:22:41.22
Let's continue now
in verse six, it says,
00:22:41.22\00:22:44.06
"There are many who say,
00:22:44.06\00:22:45.76
"'Who will show us any good?'
00:22:45.76\00:22:47.46
"Lord, lift up the light
of your countenance upon us."
00:22:47.46\00:22:52.40
Now we should probably
come back to that statement
00:22:53.80\00:22:55.07
in another episode
on another day because
00:22:55.07\00:22:56.91
this is
particularly true of the world
00:22:56.91\00:22:58.94
we live in right now, people
are actually giving up hope
00:22:58.94\00:23:01.48
that the world has good
and honest people anymore,
00:23:01.48\00:23:03.91
because no matter who
we elect or who we trust,
00:23:03.91\00:23:06.58
we just get disappointed
again and again and again,
00:23:06.58\00:23:09.08
but I'll save
that for another day.
00:23:09.08\00:23:11.29
And what I want you to notice
for now is that one solution
00:23:11.29\00:23:14.96
to anxiety and
sleeplessness is a determination
00:23:14.96\00:23:18.09
that you could be a
light for other people.
00:23:18.09\00:23:20.80
You could become the solution
for somebody else's anxiety,
00:23:20.80\00:23:24.03
because I promise you,
you're not the only one
00:23:24.03\00:23:26.37
who tosses and turns and wonders
if God is still out there.
00:23:26.37\00:23:30.17
So when God
shines His light on you,
00:23:30.17\00:23:32.61
you need to become determined
to shine it on somebody else
00:23:32.61\00:23:35.38
and become a solution
for their sleeplessness,
00:23:35.38\00:23:38.45
and imagine the world would
live in if more of us did that.
00:23:38.45\00:23:42.78
Okay, verse seven, because
we are going run out of time.
00:23:42.78\00:23:45.75
That happens to me every week.
00:23:45.75\00:23:46.89
Verse seven,
00:23:46.89\00:23:48.52
"You have put
gladness in my heart,
00:23:48.52\00:23:50.86
"more than in the
season that their grain
00:23:50.86\00:23:53.33
"and wine increased."
00:23:53.33\00:23:55.70
I don't you want you to
miss this because the psalmist,
00:23:55.70\00:23:58.33
what he just did was
choose to accept the gladness
00:23:58.33\00:24:02.17
or joy that comes from
knowing that God hears you.
00:24:02.17\00:24:04.74
And he says that
knowing that is worth more
00:24:04.74\00:24:07.14
than having all the
wealth in the world.
00:24:07.14\00:24:09.78
Other people appear to
have a problem free existence,
00:24:09.78\00:24:13.05
but the psalmist
has something better
00:24:13.05\00:24:14.62
than a problem free
existence, he has God.
00:24:14.62\00:24:18.29
I mean you and I both know
00:24:19.19\00:24:21.02
that money doesn't
really solve problems anyway.
00:24:21.02\00:24:23.36
Being richer only means
having bigger headaches,
00:24:23.36\00:24:26.56
and trust me, wealthy
people lie awake at night too.
00:24:26.56\00:24:29.83
An a massive bank
account can disappear
00:24:29.83\00:24:31.73
with one financial crisis,
it can all go in a single day,
00:24:31.73\00:24:36.27
but knowing the Creator,
00:24:36.27\00:24:38.04
knowing there's a
God that listens to you,
00:24:38.04\00:24:40.51
nobody can take that from you
00:24:40.51\00:24:42.58
and it's worth more than
anything else in the world.
00:24:42.58\00:24:46.18
Okay, one last break
and then the big finish.
00:24:46.18\00:24:49.65
- [Announcer] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:24:52.32\00:24:54.76
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:24:54.76\00:24:58.13
but that's where
the Bible comes in,
00:24:58.13\00:25:00.56
it's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:25:00.56\00:25:03.60
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:25:03.60\00:25:05.13
we've created the
Discover Bible guides
00:25:05.13\00:25:07.30
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:25:07.30\00:25:08.90
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use,
00:25:08.90\00:25:11.37
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:25:11.37\00:25:14.41
and they're absolutely free.
00:25:14.41\00:25:16.44
So jump online
now, or give us a call
00:25:16.44\00:25:18.78
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:25:18.78\00:25:20.98
- [Narrator] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:25:22.52\00:25:26.82
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:25:26.82\00:25:31.39
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:25:31.39\00:25:33.56
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:25:33.56\00:25:36.56
Our free focus on
prophecy guides are designed
00:25:36.56\00:25:39.50
to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:25:39.50\00:25:41.77
and deepen your understanding
of God's plan for you
00:25:41.77\00:25:44.74
and our world.
00:25:44.74\00:25:45.94
Study online or
request them by mail
00:25:45.94\00:25:48.31
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:25:48.31\00:25:51.18
- Okay, we're back, and
we're reading from Psalm 4
00:25:52.71\00:25:55.02
and it's time for the big
finish now in verse eight.
00:25:55.02\00:25:58.32
it says,
00:25:58.32\00:25:59.55
"I will both lie
down in peace and sleep,
00:25:59.55\00:26:02.82
"for you alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety."
00:26:02.82\00:26:07.83
Now here's what I want
you to take away from this
00:26:09.20\00:26:10.13
and it's profoundly simple,
00:26:10.13\00:26:12.10
you have a choice.
00:26:12.10\00:26:14.67
You can choose to
lie down in peace,
00:26:14.67\00:26:17.54
you can choose to sleep
because now you understand
00:26:17.54\00:26:21.04
that you're just a
manager, a groundskeeper,
00:26:21.04\00:26:23.55
a person who
handles the business affairs
00:26:23.55\00:26:25.85
of an Almighty,
an all powerful God.
00:26:25.85\00:26:29.12
So if your life
belongs to Him, that means,
00:26:29.12\00:26:31.85
well, your
problems belong to Him too
00:26:31.85\00:26:34.49
and He's got the
means to solve them.
00:26:34.49\00:26:36.73
Now, I wish I could tell
you I was doing this perfectly,
00:26:38.19\00:26:40.26
I'm not, this is something
I'm still working on myself,
00:26:40.26\00:26:43.57
but just reading this passage
00:26:43.57\00:26:45.87
and asking for the peace
of knowing that God heard me,
00:26:45.87\00:26:49.77
and then choosing
consciously to believe that God
00:26:49.77\00:26:53.14
really did hear my
plea at two in the morning,
00:26:53.14\00:26:56.54
well, I gotta tell
you, it's starting to work.
00:26:56.54\00:27:00.15
This is something
that you've got to practice
00:27:00.15\00:27:01.98
and you do have to keep making
decisions every single day,
00:27:01.98\00:27:06.32
but every single day, it
gets just a little bit better.
00:27:06.32\00:27:09.99
and yeah, I still have
lots of sleepless nights,
00:27:09.99\00:27:13.43
but I'll tell you this much,
00:27:13.43\00:27:14.86
it's a really good
thing to understand
00:27:14.86\00:27:17.03
that you are not
alone at two in the morning,
00:27:17.03\00:27:19.87
and there really is
someone out there listening,
00:27:19.87\00:27:22.90
and it all begins
with the choice to believe
00:27:22.90\00:27:26.78
and then a daily
choice to keep believing.
00:27:26.78\00:27:31.51
I'm Shawn Boonstra,
you've been watching Authentic.
00:27:31.51\00:27:35.08
[light music]
00:27:35.08\00:27:37.65