Your Sleep Will Be Sweet

Last night I did not sleep well. My oldest daughter has the flu (poor girl) and she was up several times. Many of us have trouble sleeping well at night. This could be due to that stage of life we might be in with little ones who wake up in the night, or from health issues/medication, poor sleep habits, jet lag, a snoring spouse, but it also may be from stress, anxiety and worries. 

In general, my kids have always been wonderful sleepers. I know this is not the case for everyone, and I know it is truly a blessing. So while I generally get a good sleep most nights, there have often been nights where I lack a good night’s rest or take a while to fall asleep due to anxiety or worries or to-do lists running through my head. 

Proverbs 3 is all about pursuing and embracing wisdom. In seeking to know God more through His Word, we grow closer to Him and in turn God blesses us. This verse stood out to me as one of His blessings:

“When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet” (v. 24)

We can rest secure in Him when we present our next steps to God, when we learn to trust Him to take care of our anxieties, worries and stressful situations and when we put all of our reliance and confidence on Him. This brings me to one of my favourite verses in the Bible:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 

In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6)

• “In all your ways acknowledge him” — we should be mindful of God in every thought, word and action.
• “and He will make your paths straight” — He will remove obstacles from your pathway. 

In giving up our anxieties and submitting all of our cares to God, acknowledging His presence in our lives, we can experience a sense of peace and tranquility, knowing that God is in control. 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.” (Phil. 4:6-7)

So tonight? Rest well and sleep sweetly knowing that God cares for you and He is willing and able to take the burden of our worries and anxieties and give us that peace that we long for.