Morning, particularly the pre-dawn hours is my favorite time of day. I enjoy spending my quiet time in a quiet house while the rest of my family is still asleep. This morning’s Scripture reading has me contemplating the very notion of sleep.
“God neither sleeps nor slumbers….He watches over you.” Psalms 121:4-5
The word “watch” is used five times in Psalms 121. “The Lord will watch over your life…He will watch over your coming and going.”
God works the night shift. While the rest of the world is asleep He is on watch guarding, protecting, our life. God doesn’t sleep. He doesn’t need to. Isn’t that comforting!
I continued my journey through Psalms and also read Psalms 127:2 “He grants sleep to those He loves.” He grants sleep. He gives sleep. I’ve never considered sleep a gift, but it certainly is! I can recall the months of sleep deprivation when I was new mom to a colicky child. I can agree that sleep is a gift!
“A clear conscience makes a soft pillow.”- Old Proverb
For many years sleep eluded me. I would lay awake at night unable to sleep, unable to turn off my brain, unable to stop thinking. It was during that time that I began to journal. Journaling my prayers in the evening helped to me relinquish my concerns to God. He works the night shift and could watch over me while I slept. Something wonderful began to occur, I was given the gift of sleep!
Now, when I wake up and when I lie down I write in my prayer journal, surrendering my concerns to the One who never sleeps nor slumbers.
Perhaps when you sleep tonight you can rest in the knowledge that the God who never sleeps or slumbers is working the night shift on your behalf!
~April
“May you and I be mutually encouraged by each others’ faith.” Romans 1:12