St. Gabriel Church Christian Mothers Group at 3016 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28211 US - Jeanette's Devotion...

SLEEP   Let me begin by asking a few questions. How many hours of sleep do you get per night? How many of you know you need a certain number hours of sleep to function well the next day? How many of you take naps? How many of you lie awake when you should be sleeping because you’re worrying about something?   I love to sleep.  I love the feeling of being wrapped up in my comforter, all warm and cozy.  It’s a safe feeling, a little cocoon of my own.  That is until my four-year-old, Mary, decides to climb up and lay all over me.  But, that’s nice too.    I have a confession to make.  Over the past year, maybe longer, I have averaged a one o’clock in the morning bedtime.  And usually, after I finally get myself to bed, and just as I feel myself drifting off to sleep, Mary wakes up to use the bathroom, which she can only do in the middle of the night if Mommy comes with her.  She does sleep through the night most of the time, but as with most children, her timing is impeccable, and she only gets up to go to the bathroom on those nights when I really need the sleep.  Of course, all this prevents me from getting that uninterrupted sleep we all need to feel refreshed. Then, I’m up with the boys at 6:30 for school, and my day begins.  Unfortunately, I’m also one of those “gotta get 8 hours of sleep to feel alive” people.  So, needless to say, I have not been getting enough sleep.   I do consider myself a night owl.  I like the night.  Once the kids are in bed and asleep, I get my third or fourth wind of the day.  I can talk to my husband without being interrupted.  I can read the paper or even a book.  I can e-mail.  I can pay bills.  The worst thing I can do is watch TV, but sometimes I even do that too.  But above all else, the house is QUIET.  Oh, how I love that quiet!  But it is a vicious cycle.  If I stay up late, then I’m tired the next day and usually need to take a nap in the afternoon, which will most likely indicate that I’ll be up late again the next night.  And when I’m tired and I don’t get a nap, I can be short-tempered, easily irritated, and basically mean.  And that’s not exactly the way a Christian Mother is supposed to behave!        Once upon a time, long, long ago, I was reading from my daily devotional when I came across a page dedicated to sleep.  I thought that it was a strange topic for a devotional.  Not like the usual stuff on peace, hope, or love, but rather on sleep.  I was immediately intrigued, and I thought, “this oughta be good.”  And indeed, God spoke to my heart.   Psalm 23 says, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.  He leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul.”   And, of course we all know Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”  We are called to rest in the presence and promises of the Lord our God.  Indeed, Jesus wants to be Lord of all our life, and that includes our sleep.  He has plans to use our sleep both to advance His kingdom and to bless us with sufficient rest.    Now there is good reason to say our prayers before retiring to bed.  Let’s give God our last conscious thoughts, and let Him bless us with refreshing sleep.    There is a dark side to sleep, too, as Satan also has plans for our sleep.  In addition to the sleep we lose through the activity of our children or neighbors, Satan attempts to rob us of more sleep by tempting us to worry, fear or be angry. (Sirach 40:5-6)  When we need to fall asleep, we instead lay awake and fret.  This gives the devil a chance to operate on us and further his sabotage of God’s kingdom. (Eph 4:26-27)    Do you go to bed angry?  Do you lie awake and worry? There is tremendous danger in this.  It can and will consume you.  That is not of God.  For in Matthew 6:27, Jesus himself says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”    To whom do you go for comfort?  In whom do you trust?    It goes on to say, “We really need discernment in the area of sleep.  At times we are called to do without some sleep.  The writer of 2 Maccabees spent many “sleepless nights” writing the word of God.  (2 Maccabees 2:26)  -Or, like Jesus, we can be called to intercede and pray long into the night.  (Mt 14:23,25)  At other times, we sleep when we should be attentive to the Lord. (Mt 26:40)  Conversely, we often are called to sleep, but we won’t.  We stay up late entertaining ourselves or working, when God our Father wants to provide rest for us.  Psalm 127:2 states, “It is vain for you to put off your rest, for He gives to His beloved in sleep.”    When you have the chance, do you choose to entertain yourself, maybe with the TV remote, instead of enjoying the benefits of sleep?  Do you work late into the night, instead of allowing God to rest your body and spirit?    If we give our lives to the Lord and live by His teachings, then Proverbs 3:24 holds this promise for us.  “When you lie down, you need not be afraid.  When you rest, your sleep will be sweet.”   And in His peace, we will gratefully respond as in Psalm 4:9, “As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep, for You alone, O Lord, bring security to my dwelling.”       Let us pray:             Praise---    Thank you God for providing time in our day and night to be refreshed by you.              Repent---            Forgive us those times when we have selfishly turned away from sleep.             Ask----       Help us to seek your comfort each night, even as we seek your guidance throughout our day.             Yeild----          Restore our souls.  Fill our minds and hearts with your Spirit.

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