How many times have you tossed and turned because your mind wouldn’t shut down at night?
Perhaps you’re worried about your kids. They’re sick or struggling in school, making lousy choices and refusing to heed your warnings, hurting over a broken relationship, or struggling with indecision about their future.
Maybe you’re scared about your own future. A job lay-off looms, or your marriage is practically non-existent. The doc wants to see you because a recent x-ray showed a mass. You’re supposed to relocate for work but you haven’t been able to sell your house yet and your finances are maxed out.
My husband traveled frequently for work when our kids were preschoolers. I dreaded his trips. Thieves had broken into our home once, and that experience left me afraid to spend the night without him to protect our family. And so, every time Gene was out of town, I tossed and turned—unable to sleep because I feared a stranger or two or three might enter our home and strike again.
I recall one night in particular. Lack of sleep had left me exhausted. I knew I couldn’t continue this way and properly care for my kids the next morning. In desperation, I flipped open my Bible. A verse popped off the page, reminding me that, unless the Lord watched my home, the night watchman stayed awake in vain.
That was an “aha” moment for me. It was as though God said, “Go to sleep, Grace. I’m watching your home. Do you trust Me?” I turned off the bedside lamp, rolled over, and fell asleep. I’ve never struggled in the same way since.
Psalm 121:1-5 offers similar encouragement: “I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you!”Therein lies the secret to a restful sleep. No matter what we’re worried about, we can trust our cares to God knowing these things:
- God—creator of heaven and earth—is our source of help. If He breathed the universe and all it contains into being, then we can trust Him to give us the strength and help we need to face our tough stuff.
- God never slumbers or sleeps. He doesn’t take a nap and then wake up to discover that—oh my goodness—something went terribly wrong on the earth while He rested His eyelids. We can sleep because He doesn’t.
How does this thought encourage you today?
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