Sentinel
"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." (Psalm 4:8)
A large, lone pelican was perched on his post, seeming to appropriate the
sentinel role overseeing and guarding his territory.
Earlier that week two persons I know well were relaying to me how much trouble
they have sleeping. They complained of feeling tired in the morning when they
woke up, of dragging through work. The edge of alertness, and joy, was missing;
Ps 118 (v.24) was definitely not on their lips that day.
I say I sleep like a rock although that’s not always been the case. For more
years than I’d care to admit I had difficulty sleeping too. Anxiety, concerns,
and yes even worries kept me from settling into restful sleep. I’d toss and turn
as I mentally walked through the next day (or week or month) or rehearsed scenes
that had already taken place. The ‘what-ifs’ and ‘maybes’ really can get you
wound up.
There’s a plethora of ‘how to not be stressed’ media, as well as sleep-tips.
Many provide useful and practical information. One thing that has been a great
help to me over the years is the ‘medicine’ I take before I go to bed at night:
the word of God.
It’s important we get the needed sleep to be refreshed for what ever it is that
God’s called us to do in our waking hours. If you have insomnia like lots of
others, you might want to try this. Read these five verses before you go to
sleep each night. I wrote them out and keep them on a bedside table.
It is comforting to know we have a Sentinel watching over us. These promises in
the Bible are good, and reliable. That’s good news.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be
sweet. Proverbs 3:24 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because
the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:5 Indeed, he who watches over Israel never
slumbers or sleeps. Psalm 121:4 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you
alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
Sally Ireland Kennedy,
Irish Thursdays Weekly Devotionals © 2009,
http://www.sallyikennedy.com