Having Trouble Sleeping?

One of the blessings I have always enjoyed from the Lord is sleep. Within seconds of laying my head on my pillow I am gone and I don't wake up until it is time. Usually I wasn't even disturbed by dreams, although I am currently going through a season of prophetic dreams. Sleep is a blessing I have always trusted in and given thanks for because it tells me all is right with my relationship with the Lord. It tells me that my confidence is found in him and that I am trusting him in a life filled with so many disturbances.

King David understood this same blessing. Even when his son Absalom had taken the kingdom from him, forcing David to flee for his life, he wrote:

I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around. (Psalm 3:5-6)

The reason David had this blessing of sleep even in the midst of the worst period of his life is because he understood and accepted one simple truth:

Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is upon Your people. (v. 8)

In the following psalm David expressed the same blessing for the same reason:

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

Sleep has always been my measuring rod for my relationship with Jesus. One of the fundamental elements of our relationship with him is confidence and trust, no matter the circumstances of our life. If my sleep is disturbed I know that something is not quite right about my relationship. I go to prayer first about the relationship and then after to lift up the circumstances to him. The relationship is the priority over everything else.

Let's face it, the biggest hurdle to get over in our life was our sin. If Jesus loved us enough to take care of our sin then how can we not trust him with everything else? Sometimes our biggest problem is being afraid that he will not want for us what we want for us, and in this you may be assured that we are wrong. Our relationship and love for Jesus is such that we no longer care about what we want, making our only desire to be the Father's will. We trust the Scriptures that tell us he uses everything for our benefit, so we place our confidence in him.

Worry, fear, anxiety, stress, depression are all robbers of our sleep. They are all negative things, none of which are from the Lord. He showers down on us the blessings of love, peace and joy. In fact, these are the first of the fruits of the Spirit produced in us when we walk with the Lord. If these are not being produced we know for certain that all is not right with the relationship. If we want a right relationship we need to give everything up to Jesus, stop longing for what we want, and make it the purpose of our heart to seek out what he wants. Simply put: Trust Jesus. It is the Christian way. In this you will be blessed with incredible sleep every single night.

Sleep well my friends.