Peaceful sleep!
Verse for Today: Saturday, November 16, 2013
Proverbs 3:24 – When you life down, you will not be afraid; when you life down, your sleep will be sweet.
We are least defensive when we life down. But if we are not confident, we will be utterly fearful and apprehensive on our beds. A confident person will be able to sleep fast and enjoy every bit of it. But our environment is often not so supportive for us to slip into slumber. Sometimes we are bothered with guilt about our past sins of commissions and omissions. We often wonder when our past will catch up with us and it fills our minds with the fear of its consequences. In such situations, even when we are on bed, the minds will not be at rest and thus we will find it difficult to relax and sleep. Even if we sleep it will not be sound and but restless. But we don’t need to be restless if we live with the wisdom to pursue righteous living. Such wisdom is available to us from God in writing. The Word of God instructs us to live practically by trusting God to take care of us as we live according to His commandments and admonitions. Thus when we follow the pathway of righteousness as given in the Word, we would do what God wants us to do. The warnings in the Word will make us not forsake our duties and responsibilities. Thus we will be able to live a righteous life on a daily basis. Wherever there are lapses, the Word instructs us to confess and repent of it and thus get our consciences clear before God. When we go to sleep with clear conscience, we will not be afraid that our past sins will catch up with us and will soon slip into Slumberland to enjoy sound sleep. God wants us to live such lives over and above our circumstances as we follow His commandments and ordinances in His Word to live without fear or anxiety.
Dear friend, are you enjoying your time of relaxation and sleep every day? Are your sins of omission and commission chasing you on your bed and filling your heart with fear and anxiety? Do you experience sleeplessness or interrupted sleep pattern? If there are no physical reasons for erratic sleep patterns, you may examine your heart to see if there are reasons in your conscience and life style which bother you when you go to sleep. If there are violations of the truths embodied in the Word of God, you must confess it to God and get forgiveness and restitution if necessary. Sometimes you won’t be able to sleep because of fear of the unknown future. But if you commit your ways to God and believe that He will look after your future, the peace of God which passes all understanding will rule your heart, thoughts and imaginations. If you have threat from enemies, trust God to keep you safe while you take necessary precautions and leave the rest with God. When you are thus right with God, He will keep you safe in His arms and give you confidence and trust to lie down to relax and sleep sound. David had such experiences when fear loomed large above his head, but He trusted God and was able to sleep. We have the example of our Lord Jesus sleeping in a boat during turbulence. We also find a destitute Jacob sleeping sound at Bethel and received a wonderful revelation of God’s promises for his future. We sleep well when our hearts are right with God. His wisdom comes from His Word to our hearts to instruct and warn us to live righteously by faith and confidence in Him.
Psalms 121:5 – The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
Thought for Today
It is not the circumstance which helps us to relax and sleep well, but the state of our hearts which are right with God.
Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Help me today to commit my ways to You to relax, rest and sleep peacefully.
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