Remedy for Restlessness
Rise and Shine for Jesus!
By
Pam Iannello (my late mother)
"Remedy for Restlessness"
Psalm
3:1-8 (KJV)
Lord,
how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up
against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for
him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory,
and the lifter up of mine head.I cried unto the Lord with my voice,
and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I
laid me down and slept;
I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten
thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine
enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the
ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy
people. Selah.”
As
I read this Psalm today, I was impressed anew with the fact that God
watches over our sleep! Without it, human beings don’t perform very
well; our productivity is disrupted. Our ability to cope with the
stresses and strains of life wanes in light of small doses of
slumber. So it is for the believer who is met with both physical and
spiritual battles. And ladies, it takes more than a soft pillow to
insure sound sleep! Knowing God is watching over us can give us rest
and peace even during times of crisis. David could have experienced
many a sleepless night when his son Absalom strongly opposed him as
he gathered an army together to kill him. Nevertheless, David slept
peacefully
– even during
the rebellion. Certainly, this would be a hard thing for any troubled
parent to do! What made the difference? The Bible says David cried
out to the Lord and
the Lord heard him.
The assurance of answered prayer always brings peace! Ladies, it is
so much easier to sleep when we have full assurance that God is in
control of our circumstances – even the ones that hit closest to
home… If you are lying awake at night heavy with the concerns you
cannot change, pour your heart out to God and thank Him that HE is in
control! There is no need for God’s children to collapse in
exhaustion from hours of worry when they can place their head on
their pillows at a sensible hour and rest in true peace…
Psalm
4:8 (KJV)
I
will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only
makest me dwell in safety.
True
peace is not found in positive thinking, good feelings, or even in
the absence of conflict. David has shown us the cure for sleepless
nights is to turn our thoughts to God; to commit our affairs to Him.
Regardless of the various reasons people struggle to slumber, these
may be turned into quiet times of reflection and worship… Are you
in the habit of channeling your concerns properly, thereby motivating
yourself to review how God has guided and helped you?
Psalm
63:6-7 (KJV)
When
I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night
watches. Because
thou hast been my help,
therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
Just
as David expressed his confidence in the Lord, so should we in our
darkest moments! Accept the respite that your heavenly Father offers
you… Actually, proper rest is so important that God made it part of
His ultimate plan as specified in Genesis at creation, signifying our
need to rest in Christ. Some work is not ours to do… Consequently,
let us never trust a lesser power than God Himself! No matter how old
we are, we’ll never outgrow our need for God’s untiring watch
over our lives. It’s the perfect remedy for restlessness!
Thank
God for sleep!
And,
when you cannot sleep,
Still
thank Him that you live
To
lie awake.
(John
Oxenham)
God
Bless,
Pam
Isaiah
60:1&2
Copyright
2002 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised
2007
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