Ever have one of those nights when try as hard as you will, you just can’t get to sleep? I have. Sometimes it isn’t because I’m worried about anything, sometimes it’s because I have a song running through my head, or God is trying to get my attention. It seems I’m the type of person whom God has to wait until I’m trying to sleep to talk to me…mostly because I’m busy or just not paying attention.
Worry is one thing I usually don’t have a problem with, but there are times when I get stressed out and have forgotten to go to God with it. That’s when I need a reminder from Him that no matter what the issue, I can always go to Him with my problems. In fact, He encourages us to go to Him and give Him our struggles and issues. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NIV)
We were never meant to carry all the “stuff” we deal with by ourselves. In fact, God never intended for us to bear those burdens at all. That’s why He tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Mathew 11:30)
As I said previously, sometimes it’s because He is trying to talk to me or get my attention about something that I need to deal with. God’s Word tells us that we need to, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) In the course of my day there are times I find that I’ve been so preoccupied with whatever I am doing, that I have a tendency to leave my time with God until the last possible moment and I don’t have my full attention on listening to what He has to tell me. That’s why a lot of times He speaks to me in the still of the evening, simply because that’s the only time He can get my attention. I have to admit, that’s something I need to work on.
Some people say that their best time for a “Quiet Time” with God is early in the morning. Anyone who knows me knows that “I don’t do mornings.” It is not the best time of the day for me. I often tell people that I’m not awake until 10:00 a.m. I usually joke about it, but in reality….it’s pretty close to the truth. My best time of day is generally later, more like mid afternoon or evening. So I need to take advantage of that time and get into God’s Word during the best time of the day. I notice that when I have my devotion time right before bedtime, rest comes much easier. I can drift off to sleep, knowing that God has everything under His control, and be at complete peace. Often times, in my sleep, He will speak to me. Sometimes it comes in the form of dreams, sometimes I will “hear” a praise or worship song in my sleep. I love when I wake in the morning and the song that’s been playing in my head all night is still there and it starts my day and sets the tone for that day. God sings to me in the night. In fact, the Bible tells us that God gives “songs in the night.” (Job 35:10)
Resting in God is a valuable commodity, and far too many of us find ourselves running in circles, finding no peace or rest. We allow ourselves to get stressed out about, sometimes, the most insignificant things…things that will make no difference tomorrow or ten years from now. We think, “Well, it’s just a little thing, I can handle it.” Then we find that we can’t handle it and have to come running to God with it, hoping He can fix it. Remember, nothing is too small or too big for God to be involved in the solution. Giving God the worry, doubt, problems…all of it, is the only solution, and will be the true path to peace and rest.
Take time to have a “sit-down” chat with Him…He wants to hear what you have to say. Develop a relationship with Him. The more you spend time with Him the closer your relationship with Him will become and the more you talk to God, soon you will be having a conversation all day long with Him.
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