by Dr. Ralph L. Keiper
T here are countless people today who hate to see the night sha dows fall for they know that it will bring them another night without restful sleep. In Proverbs 6:22 we read of the power of God’s Word in this beautiful thought, “When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee.” One of the most important things to beauty is proper sleep and rest. The same thing is even truer of spirit ual beauty. The Bible tells us how we may learn to sleep soundly through the night. Many of us are plagued from time to time with insomnia. Counting sheep has never seemed to work for us. My wife and I have found a solution to our problem. We get up, go out to the kitchen, prepare a good meal, eat it, and then go back to bed and where we then sleep like rocks. Now, I am not suggesting this practice for you. However, spiritually speaking, your restlessness may mean that you are merely hungry. The Word of God gives us several reasons for sleeplessness. One may be because you are filled with anxiety and worry. Proverbs 3 :24 and 26 we read these interesting words, “When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, thy sleep shall be sweet.” “For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” There are so many worries that can plague us, if we let them. They could be related to domestic problems or those of a physical, financial, spir
itual or mental nature. I have known some people to worry because they know they have nothing to worry about. There is no beauty in this kind of life. God says that this does not need to be true of the Christian. We need to learn to put our cares on the Lord Jesus Christ. The secret behind anxiety is fear. The reason we fear is because of the unknown. We can enjoy the sleep of security. David said, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safe ty” (Psalms 4:8). To worry is to say that God is a liar and that He is not big enough to take care of our prob lems. When you lie down do you believe that God can keep you? Do you be lieve that you are wholly in your heavenly Father’s hands ? In the 127th Psalm David writes, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his be loved sleep” (verses 1 and 2). The great thief of sleep is worry. God wants to know, “What can you do about problems over which you have no control?” The answer, of course, is absolutely nothing. See how practi cal God’s Word is at this point. Now do not use this text as an opportunity for laziness or indolence. If you are only going to get up and worry, don’t bother. It will get you nowhere. 30
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