by Heather Tietz
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
Slumber is defined as the heartiest state of sleep — sleep so deep it holds no memory of dreams.
During those hours of slumber, your tissue is rebuilding and your immune system is rejuvenating.
Most adults need about eight hours of sleep a day to function well. Without adequate zzzs, our memory, our mood, our immune system, even our perspective of pain doesn’t work correctly. We aren’t just dangerous behind the wheel, we’re not whole people.
Most of us struggle to get those eight hours. Research shows that Americans are especially lacking sleep. Even when we make it successfully to bed, almost a quarter of us still can’t calm our minds and bid our bodies to really rest.
Thank God we’re not alone. He doesn’t sleep at all. God is spirit and has no need of a night’s rest to function well. He’s always perfect. He is always available.
When we lay in bed trying to sort through the problems of the day, trying to make our bills fit our wallet, our children follow our rules, and our health squeeze into our schedules, God is aware. As we try to make our duties manageable and our hearts right, God is awake. We don’t have to ponder alone. We can invite Him into our stressed thoughts and ask for His direction.
He can give us the peace we need to rest.
What stresses disrupt my sleep? What stresses should I hand over to God in prayer at the end of each day?
Holy Lord, Thank You for being available at all times. When I am distressed, help me remember to seek You first. In Jesus’ blessed name I pray, Amen.