Sleep On It

Psalm 119:49-56

Verse 55  In the night, Lord, I remember Your name, that I may keep Your law.

    Yesterday we were talking about meditating on the Word and today we take it a little bit further.  One of the issues that arise when we start to meditate is finding the quiet time and place in which to dwell on the Scriptures.  There is no perfect time that works for everyone and yet there is a time that is actually beneficial to us to spend some time meditating.  This is in the night.

    Many of us have a hard time falling asleep at night.  We have so many different things running through our minds.  We find ourselves meditating on things like bills that need paying, what made our spouse mad at us, what our co-worker said to us, our friends, the test our child has in school the next day.  All these things, and more, float through our minds causing us to become anxious as we are trying to get the rest we need for the next day.

    What would happen if instead of listing off our anxieties, we meditated on some scripture?  Maybe this can take place by listening to an audio reading of the Bible as we fall asleep or maybe we read a small passage just before turning off the light and intentionally set our thoughts on rehashing what we have just read.  What if instead of scrolling social media before trying to go to sleep, we read a psalm that speaks of the goodness of God?

    This idea of meditating on Scripture to go to sleep isn’t just about when we go to bed.  What about those times that we wake up during the night and can’t seem to get back to sleep?  Those are perfect times to spend with God and seeking what He is wanting to teach us.  Because this activity of meditating isn’t so much about us as it is about God.

    Just as when we have a relationship that we are excited about, we find ourselves thinking about and replaying special moments, we will find that the more we think on God and His Word, we will become more and more consumed with Him.  Meditating at night will help Him be the last thought as we lie down and give us peace as we fall asleep.  A peaceful sleep will give us a rest that only He can bring.

Making It Personal

    What is your normal bedtime routine, does it include time in the Word?  Would meditating on His Word as you fall asleep give you a better nighttime focus?  What passage will you meditate on tonight?

Making It Personal Kids

    What do you think about as you fall asleep?  Why would thinking about God as you go to sleep help you sleep better?  Do you know a Bible verse that would help you relax to fall asleep?

Closing Prayer

    Father, thank You for giving us the tools needed to sleep peacefully.  May we desire time with You every moment of the day.  In Jesus’ name, amen.