Sleep Tight, Every Night

It's Only Right

by Pastor John Hamel

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makes me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

Do you have trouble sleeping?  Do you toss and turn through the night and never enter into a deep, sound sleep?  Possibly you just lay there thinking about all the things you should have done and need to do.  Whatever your reasons for not sleeping, I have good news.  

God is not your problem.  God is your solution.  It’s His will for you to sleep soundly.  

The Bible says it is His will for you to both lay down in peace and to sleep deeply.  It is not enough for you to sleep with a troubled mind.  God wants you to sleep in peace, leaving all your troubles with Him as you do so.  

Let’s read something else from the Bible.

“And when He [Jesus] was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep. And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.”  (Matthew 8:23-26)

Now, Jesus knew the potential for storms to rise up at sea, yet still, He chose to lie down and sleep.  Jesus was not afraid of all the things that could go wrong.  He was not troubled by all that needed to be done later.  He was not the least bit concerned about how He was going to provide for His disciples.  Why not?  Because Jesus trusted in His Father’s Word and in His Father’s great love.  

Jesus knew His Father promised throughout Scripture to protect Him and to provide for Him, as well as for those who follow Him. 

"Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet." (Psalm 91:13)

This verse reveals that God has given the Believer in Christ all power and authority over Satan and demon powers.  That alone should give you peace.  

"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land." (Isaiah 1:19)

Jesus was well acquainted with these verses, and hundreds more, promising God's provision and protection.  Therefore, Jesus made the decision that He was going to lie down and sleep deeply, allowing His Father’s Word and His Father’s love to watch over Him.  And He did just that.

Because Jesus always slept sweetly, you can sleep sweetly, too.  

The Bible says, “As He is so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17)  

God wants you to sleep as peacefully as Jesus always slept, trusting in His promise to protect and provide for you.  As a matter of fact, God stays up all night working on your problems, so one of you better get some sleep! 

"Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy Keeper ... the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil ... the Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore." (Psalm 121:4-8)  

Since God is your Keeper Who preserves you from all evil from now to forevermore, why don't you just trust in that, put your head on your pillow and make up your mind that you will sleep while He watches over you?  That is what faith would do.  

"It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep." (Psalm 127:2)

The Bible says that God gives His beloved sleep.  I don’t know about you, but whenever God’s giving something out, I made up my mind to be the first in line to receive it.  If He is giving sleep, I am taking it and thanking Him for it.  I suggest you do the same.

Why not do what Jesus did?  Jesus rebuked those things that disrupted His sleep and calm set in supernaturally.  

Just say something like this. “Every hindrance to sleep and to God’s will for my life – BE STILL - in Jesus’ Strong Name.”  

Then lie down and say, “Father, I now receive Your gift of sweet sleep.  Thank You for working out my problems while I’m sleeping.  I look forward to another refreshing day of walking out Your plan and purpose for my life, in Jesus’ Name.” 

Now as you lie there, don’t bother counting sheep.  Lie there counting on God’s presence to come upon you, putting you into a deep sleep even as He did on the day of Adam’s rib surgery!  God anesthetized Adam with His love and He will do exactly that for you now. 

"And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;" (Genesis 2:21)

What God did for Adam He'll do for you.  He will literally cause a deep sleep to come upon you if you will expect Him to do so.  God is no respecter of persons.  This means He will cause anyone who trusts in Him to sleep deeply.

"Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons." (Acts 10:34)

Talking about Peter, he, too, knew how to trust God and go to sleep even in the midst of a crisis.  Not long after Jesus died and rose from the dead, King Herod decided he would kill Peter in order to find favor with the Jews.  Herod had Peter apprehended and put in prison.  

Peter was literally chained to four prison guards, awaiting execution.  He was so confident of God taking care of this problem for him that he actually went to sleep in spite of his death sentence.  When God's angel came to deliver him, Peter was sleeping so deeply the angel had to forcibly awaken him.

"And behold the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: And he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And Peter's chains fell off." (Acts 12:7)

God's angel then proceeded to lead Peter out of the prison, supernaturally opening every locked gate along the way, finally leaving Peter standing in the street free as a bird!

Quite apparently Peter was more than acquainted with Psalm 3, verse 5.

"I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me."

What God did for Peter He can and will do for you.  He caused Peter to sleep deeply in the midst of what appeared to be the crisis of Peter's life.  While Peter was sleeping God sent an angel to do for Peter what Peter could not do for himself.  

Should God deem it necessary for an angel to come and take care of your problems, that is precisely what will happen.

"For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Psalm 91:11)

If you belong to God through Jesus you are in Covenant with the God Who gives His beloved sleep.  God promises that all who enter into Covenant with Him, living a life of obedience to Him, are promised sweet sleep.  

If you have yet asked the Prophet Jesus to be your Savior you can do that right now. Upon doing so you will enter into a Covenant with Almighty God.  He will give you power to become His child.

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on His name." (John 1:12)  

"For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

Becoming a child of God and entering into Covenant with Him is as simply as saying, "God forgive me for my sins. Jesus, You’re my one and only choice for Savior.” 

When you do that, you will not only qualify for His promise of sleep but for all the other good things He promises while you are awake. 

See Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and Psalm 103:1-6 for just some of the wide awake blessings promised to God's obedient children.

SLEEP TIGHT.  EVERY NIGHT.  IT'S ONLY RIGHT.

That's what we do. 

Be blessed ... John and Barbara Hamel

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