This morning I am reminded that although I wear glasses, I don’t keep them on at night. I don’t sleep with them. I remove them and lay them aside.
God speaks to my heart. Just as I lay aside my glasses at night so that I can sleep comfortably, so too He wants me to lay aside the troubles, the questions, the concerns of the day. He wants me to sleep well at night and I can’t if I don’t lay it all down.
Oh beloved, what have you been wrangling with? What are you carrying to bed with you? Did you know that you need sleep and as a child of God it is your privilege to rest? These are tough times, but worrying and wrangling things all night won’t make the times better. You are precious to the Lord and He promises you rest as one of His gifts to you. You can’t earn rest by overwork, over-worry or over-thinking. Yes God knows you are grieving over the changes in your life. But nothing is better handled than with a good night’s sleep. It sounds simplistic, but you are worth it.
God also knows your needs. As you lay your burdens aside, you are really laying them on Him. And when you lay everything on Him you find what you’ve been looking for – Peace. It’s not the peace that the world gives. In fact the world is not giving any peace right now. It is the peace that surpasses all your thinking. And it will guard your heart and mind. God wants you to know that rest is one of your weapons. It keeps you protected all through the night.
God loves you and He’s for you. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He alone is in charge of the universe. He alone is your reason to wake up and your opportunity to rest. Run to Him this morning and ask Him for rest. Ask Him for relief from the things that keep you awake at night. Learn to practice His peace, His rest and His Sovereignty. And live in the light of His protective, never ending tender loving care.
Psalm 127: 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of anxious toil; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
Psalm 4:8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Jeremiah 31: 25 I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.
Psalm 62: 1-2 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
1 Peter 5: 7 Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.