Re: [FamilyofGod] Are You Sleeping Well?
Truly our God loves us and He will do anything to safeguard our well-being. All we have to do to discharge our own part of the covenant is to obey Him and do His will.
M.J. Knight, many tanks for this piece. May the Lord continue to bless and strengthen you- Amen.
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Are You Sleeping Well?
We have seen that our Lord gives His beloved sleep (For so He gives His beloved sleep. Psalms 127:2). Bible also says that we should not love sleep ("Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty" Proverbs 20:13); and over sleep ("How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep." Proverbs 6:9,10). Bible narrates many incidences of people sleeping. By the mercies of the Lord, we will meditate upon two incidents where people slept and the things we learn from them.
Herod put Peter in prison, intending to kill him and the day before he was to be brought before people and to be killed, Peter was sleeping well. (And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Acts 12:6). Peter was put up in prison, because he was doing the will of God, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and doing miracles. We see Herod intended to kill Peter after Passover and the night before that day Peter was sleeping well chained and between soldiers. Indeed Peter was in a deep sleep, the angel had to strike Peter on the side to wake him and even after that he did not know whether he was really walking or seeing a vision (Acts 12:7-9).
In another incident we see Jonah sleeping well in the lower parts of the ship. (But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. Jonah 1:5). Here we see Jonah sleeping well, not after doing the will of God; but running away from the presence of the Lord (Jonah 1:3).
What do we learn from these? Peter and Jonah were sleeping well, but one doing will of God and another running away from the presence of God. A person who sleeps well doesn't always mean that he is doing the will of God; the person may also be running away from the will of God.
We see here both Peter and Jonah were sleeping when there was trouble around them. A person facing troubled situation doesn't mean that he/she is running away from the will of God. The person may be facing a tough situation for Christ sake and for righteousness. Jesus Christ says "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). In doing the will of God we may have trials, but because of the peace of Jesus Christ in us we will have good sleep.
We see when both were sleeping, people were praying but for different reasons. People around Jonah were praying to God to save their lives (Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, "We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You." Jonah 1:14). And even the captain of ship had to wake Jonah to remind him to pray (So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish." Jonah 1:6).
But people around Peter (the church) were not concerned about themselves, so they were praying for Peter (Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. Acts 12:5). When we walk in the will of God, our Lord will cause the people to pray for us; if not people around us will be praying to save them.
We also see that, after Peter woke up from sleep, he went and declared the wondrous work of the Lord (But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren." And he departed and went to another place. Acts 12:17). But Jonah was thrown into sea and had to pray from the belly of fish. (Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish's belly. Jonah 2:1). Every day as we wake up from sleep are we declaring the praises of our Lord like Peter; or is somebody waking us to pray and are we crying to the Lord like Jonah?
Dear brethren, we may have good sleep because of the Love of our Father in heaven for us. But we need to check ourselves, am I doing the will of God or am I running away from the presence of God? Is our prayers are for others or directed towards ourselves? Do I require someone to call me for prayer or am I declaring the praise of the Lord? If yes, thank the Lord for His love, grace and mercy; if not, do not worry Jesus loves you and He will help in our weaknesses. He will turn our mourning to joy, our sorrow to happiness, our curses to blessing, our trials to victory and make us bear good fruit for His glory.
May the Good Lord guide us, lead us, fill us with His Holy Spirit to declare His praises, thank and praise His Holy name and continue to walk in faith keeping our focus unto our Lord Jesus Christ.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. (Daniel 6:10)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5,6)
Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. (Proverbs 3:23,24)
Love & Prayers,
Michael J. Knight.
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When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and I could say, "I used everything that you gave me."
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