Sleep Like a Baby
by Suzanne Benner
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“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8)
Is there anything more beautiful than a sleeping baby?
I have many photographs of my children, as well as my nieces and nephews, taken while they were asleep – sprawled on the floor, slumped over in the car seat, curled up in grandpa’s arms, or head on the kitchen table next to their supper plate.
There is something irresistible about a sleeping child. The way, with reckless abandon, they give in to slumber where ever they are.
To me, a snoozing child is a portrait of peace. Unburdened by worry, she rests secure.
Perhaps if we learned to trust our Heavenly Father completely, we too could sleep in peace. How often do worry and fear prevent you from having a good night’s rest?
“I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the LORD sustains me” (Psalm 3:5).
When we acknowledge that it is God alone who sustains us, not our endless striving or ceaseless planning, then we can discover the peace and quiet for which we have been longing.
He is the one who makes me secure, not my bank account, my high fence, nor my locked doors.
Learning to relinquish control over to God is never easy, but vastly rewarding. Trust in God replaces fear; confidence in Him is substituted for worry; peace and contentment displace anxious striving.
Then, by God’s grace, we can sleep like a baby.
~Holy God, forgive my worry and fear. Help me to put my complete trust in You.
Questions: What are the things you have the most difficulty entrusting to God? Why?
About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/authors/suzanne-benner/
24 Responses to “Sleep Like a Baby”
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In our hectic society, it is so easy for us to say “I don’t have time to go to church this Sunday,” or “I will read my Bible tomorrow.” I know that I am like many women in that I rely far too dependently on the calendar on my computer, or my Palm Pilot.
Just yesterday, for example, my computer deleted all of the entries that I had put into my calendar. I began to panic! I felt confused and lost. “Where am I supposed to be right now?” “What homework is due tomorrow?” “What time do I go to the event that I have been going to every Monday since August?”
Today, I am realizing that instead of worrying about scheduling five minutes to eat and fifteen minutes to write a paper, I should trust in God to help me. I have to have faith that He will help me get my work done on time, and to be where I am meant to be. Only He knows what the priorities in my life should be.
i to know what it is like to not be able to sleep because of pain,tonight when i ask God to help me sleep i will allso be asking for all of you. bless you all
sharon
Thanks so much for this devotional which I have found so timely and encouraging.
I was writing to say that I have just had a baby (Meah Grace born 3rd October)and in spite of the sleep deprivation associated, I have experienced a great sense of God’s peace this past week.
It is as if having her has allowed me to surrender to God’s purpose for my life and to hand over my burdens of worry to Him.
I was not intending to write about this, but looking at the responses of women struggling with sleep, I will share my story of suffering from severe insomnia whilst pregnant. I was angry at myself for not being able to focus on God through or pray through these long, long nights of wakefulness, often struggling to breathe (I thought I was having panic attacks).
I praise Him he has gifted me with peaceful rest now Meah’s birth is over.
I pray there will be a similar granting of respite for these women.
Wow, so many beautiful comments and words of wisdom and not much left to say, as Renae said.
I too have trouble sleeping the 8-9 hours my doctor says I need. A lot of it is because I am married to a night owl. He stays up almost all night and thinks it’s okay to wake me anytime since I don’t work, and can nap later. I am in the process of trying to educate him that those 8-9 hours of sleep aren’t as effective split up. Maybe this is an area where I need to change for him? But, I am not a night owl, and don’t want to be one???
Like most of you I seize the opportunity while awake to pray. If I despartely need to go back to sleep, I have this technique of taking deep breaths, and most of the time it puts me right to sleep. I never drink anything with caffeine in it past about 3pm. That seems to help too.
Love the scripture reference Suzanne used today. Think I will write it down, put on my night table and start claiming it when I can’t sleep, and desparately need to.
Love all you ladies and praying for needs mentioned here today. Remember we are in God’s “Intensive care” 24/7
(((Hug for all)))
Linda, Thank you so much!! Am about to log off (and excuse my being on here too much today)..But am excited at thinking tonight “Heaven’s Switchboard” will be lit up all across North America and around the world..We will all lift Chris and Linda for pain relief..Barbara D for that better shift. Healthy Grandson and safe delivery for June L’s son..Barbara C’s BDD gone in powerful name of Lord Jesus..Jackie undergirded after emergency surgery..Eve and Tracy’s situations lifted..and ALL the other concerns listed here will be lifted UP, too! Great things coming, dear Sisters! Thank all of you!!! (((hugs)))
Renae I think that Plaque is wonderful and tonight when I wake up instead of going to my computer I am going to pray too, I think that is an exciting idea to think of us ladies all praying at different times, different places across North America just think of the power we will all have in The Name of Jesus!!! Pain or Not just pray for my sisters in Christ and let The Lord do His Work!!!
Renae and Doris!
Am working at computer this afternoon..and those comments blessed me so much! LOVE what Renae’s Mom has on that plaque..and that is a great comfort, too! When I have my wakeful times (that HE ordains!)..am going to think of you other ladies praying, too!!! We are BLESSED!!!
I’m right in there with you ladies. There’s really nothing more to add…it’s all been covered…I’m in the same boat with you. I like what Fran said because I do the same thing at times. When I can’t sleep I decide I’m going to pray for anybody and everybody, might as well do something productive. My mom has that famous little plaque at her house that says “give your worries to God, He’ll be up all night anyway.” It’s so simple but true. He wants us to rest and He knows our bodies need it but it is very hard at times to shake off our thinking and get to sleeping.
Correction..”communing” with Him..Know you understood that! :)
Doris!!!
Think you are absolutely right! He “does” awaken us for prayer and comming with Him!! And the interesting thing? When that happens here? Am more refreshed the next morning. God Bless you, dear one!!!!
Thank You, Joy!!!
We are all “praying for one another” and lifting each other for our individual circumstances. The neat thing? Like you heard in Dr. Walker’s wonderful sermon the other day ..we can have the Victorious Christian life in spite of “any” challenge. With Him (Philippians 4:13) we can have His JOY no matter what our individual challenges are..and His wonderful PEACE, Hope and love, too, which builds our Faith.. HE is “growing us up” in different ways ..as individual as we each are..and, I love what June L wrote the other day.. we are learning from each one.. and praying for each other .. It is no “happenstance” that we were all called here to this special site at this appointed time..”to” be blessed!..and to share… Want to testify to any of you going through financial challenges that He is more than able and provides daily. He “shows” how to do it! And HE is absolutely Jehoveh Jireh. He is also Jehoveh Rapha and our “healer” …So many other thngs, too.. Not room enough..or computer memory enough to share today, but we all Praise HIM!!! Thank you, Father!!
I really enjoyed today’s devotional from Suzanne and Fran’s comments as well. God bless each one of you who have trouble sleeping. I can identify wth that. First, it was my husband’s illness, and with him having to have eight liters of oxygen going that kept me awake. Then afterward,
I had become so accustomed to not sleeping that I still find it difficult to turn it all over to the Lord, because He is awake, and close my eyes for the well needed slumber.
We are indeed strange creatures of habit, (although fearfully and wonderfully made) that we fall into patterns tat are often difficult to change. But our Lord is able to change us when we learn to turn it all over to Him. Often, however, I wonder if He might allow some sleeplessness for me in order for me to have time with Him. time to pray and commune with Him. What do you think?
It only takes reading these devotional comments to know how blessed I am. Most night I do sleep and although I do have some pain I certainly do not know the pain that so many of you have spoken about. Although I do not have pain to awaken me I often used to (not so much now) awaken with worry. I read something a long time ago on these devotions about worry and it included Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear for I am with you, do not anxiously look about you for I am you God, I will strengthen you, surely I will help you.” I can remember a lot of times looking at this verse through tears, it took a lot of reading this verse over and over through the years (through the tears) before it became a reality for me. But I do thank God every day that I am so blessed not to have pain or financial worries, today I will pray for all you ladies that do, bless you all!
Joy
Good Afternoon Dear Ladies and friends in HIM…
Want to thank Suzanne for the timely devotional and beautiful prayer for those that have commented today thus far..I don’t sleep the night through and am going to pray for each one that expressed sleeplessness today. Some of you are dealing with awful pain, too..Believing for healing for each one!!! HE can do it, too! During the awake times (in between “naps” at night?) I pray!! Before long His Peace overtakes me and my eyes become heavy again.
Linda, loved your and Chris’ honesty here today and believe, with all my heart, the Lord is going to help you both. AND!!! That “you” have “both” helped others who might need to express those same thoughts. He will help you and you are already realizing that “turning it over to HIM” is the answer!! Don’t be too hard on yourselves. Am your older “sister” and it took me awhile to let HIM have things and realize how “light His Yoke” really is!!..But the more I entrusted to Him, the better it got next time. Today here we are believing for a huge mountain to move..And this “learning to hand over to Him” sustains us. Beautiful PEACE every day..and night! I told my husband yesterday? We used to be “rocks”! Today? He has made us boulders! And we are not his favorites! He will do that for you, too!
One thing that helps me..Mother Teresa’s beautiful, simple words that are also Scriptural..”God is already in our tomorrow”..When the enemy tries to scare us about “what are you going to do if…”! We say that to ourselves!! Our Father in Heaven already there, on the job, and doesn’t sleep..He works on our situations even when we are sleeping!
Believing with and for all of you..and will pray each night for blessed, restful sleep! Love to ALL!! AMEN and AMEN!!!!
Ladies it is not that easy to turn total control of your whole life over to God, yes this may not be what we would like to admitt but this is the truth. We all as believers go through a learning and growing process concerning the knowledge of his will for our lives. This process is a day by day journey we embarge on that only ends when either Jesus returns or death. Thank God!! we have God promise in Philippian 1:6, that the good work he began in us he will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Thank God that God never leaves us and he is with us all the time in the good and difficult times. David said in the psalms that, All my expectations is from you, that all my times are in your hand. Whatever time you maybe experiencing, a time of sickness, a time of financial lack, a time of relationship problems, etc. All these times are in God’s hand, in his control. God promise us whom he hold in the hollow of his hand nothing can puck them out. Keep surrending everything to God, even when it seem to keep coming back, keep on surrending it back to him. Ladies I pray that the peace of God that surpast all understading will keep your mind and heart through Christ. I also pray that that Healing which belongs to you as a child of God be speedily Manifested in your bodies, do it father these are your daughters. God bless everyone that visit this site today.
Dear Ladies,
I know that sleeplessness because of pain and worry is widespread these days. In this devotional I wanted to address worry, but not minimize the struggle that those who can’t sleep because of pain have. As Linda said, often when we lie awake because of pain, we allow worry to take over our minds.
Please let me pray for you.
Holy God, I pray for Chris, Paulette, Linda, Dee and all the other women who have difficulty sleeping because of pain. Deliver them from their pain. Remind them how much you love them and that You are always with them. Father, You know what it is like to experience intense pain. Remind these women that You feel their pain along with them. Lord, when the nights are long, I pray that You would turn their thoughts toward You. Help them in the quiet hours of the night to meditate on who You are. May these truths from Your word bring them comfort: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD,’He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:1,2,4) Amen.
I struggle so much with worry and anxiety that keeps me from sleep. I tell myself the Lord is in control but everytime I hear of something bad happening on the news or to a christian person – I know we are not immune from suffering and so although the Lord can protect us – sometimes we are vulnerable. Children die and women get attacked – christian people – and I know God was with them – but the bad thing still happened. That scares me! I am always so worried about “my” children. I know they are really God’s children and he loves them even more than I do – but when you hear about things on the news happening to children – it scares me so much. I pray to work passed this because I know it disappoints the Lord and is a lack of faith.
I too have not been able to sleep a peaceful sleep,,,because pain,tireness, and worrying. I too lie down at night and say to the Lord,”Watch over me”,,He does,,because He awakes me in the morning anew,,,Thank you Holy Father!!! I need to learn to let go,,,and He knows I’m trying,,but only through His strength,,,Blessings to all..
dee
First of all can I say Welcome aboard Glenda & for only just last night committing all my troubles to the Lord and today He has blessed you with great joy and peace, Praise The Lord He Is A Wonderful God.
I like Chris, Paulette and many many other suffer from chronic pain and don’t sleep or can’t get to sleep because of pain. But I am guilty also of taking that time and other times to worry about things. Things like who is going to pay for all my medications when down the road my husband retires, or when I am so sore I can’t lift my grandchildren anymore. or what if my husband dies before I do. Lord I can’t go through that again. Then I feel so guilty because I know it is a sin to worry so I can go so far as worry about worrying if that makes any sense. My problem is I know God is in Total Control of My Life but it is Putting it into Practice and Believing it and Accepting it.Do other ladies feel that way or am I the only one?
LADIES, THANK YOU FOR REALIZING THAT I WAS SPEAKING OUT OF PAIN AND BEING TIRED. i AM SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR OUR LORD BEING THERE FOR ME. SOME TIMES IT IS SO HARD AS MANY WHO ARE IN PAIN, LIKE MYSELF, HAVE MENTIONED. SO DAYS JUST KNOWING GODS THERE FOR ME IS WHAT GETS ME THROUGH THE DAY.BECAUSE I KNOW HE HAS ME ON THIS EARTH FOR A REASON TO BE ABLE TO DO FOR HIM WHATEVER THAT IS
Thank you for that wonderful devotional. I only registered today and that is the first I have received. After experiencing turbulence for the past two weeks, I have only last night committed all my troubles to the Lord and today He has blessed me with great joy and peace. Your devotional only confirms what our mighty God is trying to tell me……Glenda.
All my life I have struggled with trying to get enough sleep. Part of it is physical pain from Lupus like Chris, the rest of it is trying to turn my brain off from worry about tommorrow and past happenings that keep playing over and over in my head. I know part of it is satan’s way of preventing me from having peace. I ask for forgiveness with my worry and try to place it in God’s hands. But it keeps coming back to haunt me. I have even been face down begging the Holy Spirit to help me. Occassionally, I get a time of peace but mainly I have experienced a roller coaster life of 55 years. I look forward to Heaven where my struggle will end.
Dear God, Please touch Chris so that the pain subsides to give rest to a body in such need of sleep. Be with others who come to this website seeking Your guidance who are in the same situation – their bodies are tired, but they cannot sleep. Let others remember how blessed we are that You can and do give us the ability to lay it at Your feet so that we can mentally rest. Thank you for being such a loving god and letting me know that You are there no matter what comes up. There is nothing You cannot do.
In Jesus Name, Amen
IT’S NOT THAT I CAN SLEEP.THE WHOLE THING IS I CAN’T SLEEP!!!!!!!THE PAIN WON’T LET ME. I THANK GOD FOR EVERY NIGHT I GET EVEN A COUPLE OF HOURS OF SLEEP, BECAUSE IT’S MORE THEN I GOT THE NIGHT BEFORE. IT’S NOT THAT I DON’T TRUST GOD I TRUST HIM ORE THEN EVERY HE’S BEEN THERE THROUGH OUT BUT THAT DOESN’T GET ME THE SLEEP MY BODY CRAVES.