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for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8
New International Version (NIV)
As a child I would kneel by my bedside to recite that famous children's prayer that begins with "Now I lay me down to sleep." This was a sweet ritual that my mother taught me. I suppose this prayer provided me with some comfort, but the fact is that when I was a child I never had any trouble falling asleep. I felt safe and secure in my family's home with loving parents nearby and some hazy concept that made me accept that there was a loving God watching over all of us.
After we've grown older and a bit more jaded about this world, we start finding more things to worry over to the point where they can often consume our lives. I've spent more than a few sleepless nights mentally rehashing things that I can't do much about or situations I should just leave in God's hands. Sometimes it seems silly when I think about the things that can keep me awake. At these times I realize that I should be letting God's peace just settle over me to give me the rest I sorely need
After we've grown older and a bit more jaded about this world, we start finding more things to worry over to the point where they can often consume our lives. I've spent more than a few sleepless nights mentally rehashing things that I can't do much about or situations I should just leave in God's hands. Sometimes it seems silly when I think about the things that can keep me awake. At these times I realize that I should be letting God's peace just settle over me to give me the rest I sorely need
I suppose we can be funny in that way. We know that we should let God handle the problems and yet in our lack of patience and our inklings of doubt we want to come up with our own solutions to our problems. Sometimes we might think that God's not listening to our petty problem so it's up to us to fix it. Deep down I believe that God's listening, but my human weakness leads me to fret by day and lose sleep by night. That's not the way it's supposed to be.
Jesus came to this Earth to provide salvation and hope. He did not come to cause turmoil, and yet his message has been one that has divided many and distressed those who wish He had never made his appearance. These are the people who need to listen closely to the words of the Messiah. And when I fall back onto my own sense of self-reliance, that's when I need to remember his words as well.
John 16:33
New International Version (NIV)
I know what you mean, I am easily consumed by worries and impatience. I constantly need to remind myself of verses like Prov. 3:5-6 and Jer. 29:11; those are great words to live by.
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