Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 22 February
2012
Hi all,
We
know that God never makes mistakes. It follows that everything He has done, is
doing, or will do is 100% correct. But every now and then we look at things and
puzzle why it was made the way He has made it. For me, the question is sleep.
Why was it written into our systems? Hey, I’m not knocking it. It’s wonderful.
But why was it included? I’m told that ants don’t sleep. So why do we?
It
seems such a waste of time. About 8 hours per day is the average sleep we need.
For some it’s a lot more and for others it’s a lot less. I’m also aware that
sleep deprivation is used to get people psychologically unbalanced.
The
Bible tells us that God worked for six days and rested on the seventh. We refer
to this “day off” as the Sabbath. Why did God rest? He wasn’t tired. He never
will be tired. If God tires, you and I are dead. He upholds everything by the
power of His Word. So if He went to sleep, it would all fall apart! You can’t
uphold anything while you are sleeping.
We
understand that He was not speaking about rest in the sense that He was tired.
He “rested” in that He ceased creating. How long this was in terms of our
concept of time is interesting. Some think He perhaps went away on holiday in
much the same way we do. But He doesn’t need a holiday. He has no needs. He
didn’t make man because He was lonely. God is not, never has been and never
will be lonely. He is utterly complete and needs nothing. We do not make Him
better or worse. He is timeless and changeless. He made us for His own good
pleasure. We can’t even say He wanted to, because He has no wants.
God
does not sleep. So why has He created us to need sleep? We could make all sorts
of suggestions. They may or may not be true. It must be something to do with
the environment in which we live. Of course He designed it this way; light, gravity,
air, water, and all the other factors that are the essentials of life. We are
not robots. He could have made a race of robots. But such a creation would not
have the ability to love or hate. In the end, in His infinite knowledge and
grace, He designed man to fit into the environment He created. Actually, that’s
the very opposite of the truth. He had us in mind at the very beginning. Thus
everything was created so that we could live here. Every law of nature and the
universe was designed with us in mind.
Psalm
121, one of the Songs of Ascent for the pilgrims going up to Jerusalem touches
on the way God takes care of His people. 1 I
look up to the hills. Where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD. He is the Maker of heaven
and earth. 3 He won't let your
foot slip. He who watches over you won't get tired. 4 In fact, he who watches over Israel won't get tired or go
to sleep. Psalm 121:1-4 NIrV It doesn’t
tell us why we need sleep. But it does speak of our Creator God watching over
us day and night. This is our God. He doesn’t need to sleep. It’s wonderful to
know that even when we are “locked in the arms of slumber” He is watching over
us. Awake or asleep, we are safe in the arms of Jesus. So why do we sleep?
Could it be so that we can learn to trust Him? Perhaps to learn to trust Him
even when we are sleeping? What do you think?
Today’s
meditation looks a bit more into this topic
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
Sound Sleep
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It’s not so much the sleeping,
but the problems on your mind.
The cares and the anxieties that we so often find,
Make us pace the bedroom,
looking for a way,
To make the day ahead of us, far better than today.
For Christians it is silly.
That’s what the Lord has said.
It’s pointless if we worry. We should get into bed,
And leave it all with Jesus.
That’s what the Bible says.
Leave your many problems with the Ancient of all Days.
We know we shouldn’t worry. But
nonetheless we do.
And often, as a consequence, we get into a stew.
The “Video” keeps playing in
the forefront of the mind.
We’ve put it on “repeat play”, so how can we unwind?
We feel a bit like cattle in
the local abattoir.
We think the knife is coming, let’s get away as far,
As it is ever possible. Let’s
“run away” to France.
This thing which we are facing, is no Divine romance.
And so we keep on worrying and
we can’t fall asleep.
We’ve even gone so far as lying down and counting sheep.
But we have found it pointless.
The worry in the mind,
While looking for solutions, ensures that we are blind,
To all the possibilities that
Christ already knows.
So why not switch the light off and go ahead and doze?
It’s sad we don’t know Jesus in
the way a Christian should.
We know He’s God Almighty and we’d trust Him if we could.
But worry is a habit, that all
of us enjoy.
Forgetting this is Satan’s trick. It’s actually his ploy,
To keep our eyes off Jesus and
to focus on the mess.
Then it will be impossible for Jesus Christ to bless,
The one who has the problem.
And Satan carries on,
Till our relationship with Christ has absolutely gone!
So here is a suggestion, when
you’re going through this pain,
Say, “Satan I am certain this is only you again.
Go and take a journey. This is
your handiwork.
For somewhere in the background you are always on the lurk,
To try and get a Christian to
focus upon you,
Instead of praying, “Master I know that You can do,
Everything that’s needed to
spike the devil’s guns;
And since You’ve told me plainly that we are both God’s sons
Won’t you please assist me to
chase this “guy” away?
He is getting boring with the nonsense he does say!
He is most unwelcome in this
little home of mine.
It’s been dedicated to Jesus Christ Divine.
Father, send him packing. I
never want to see,
Him stopping me from sleeping, when I really have to be,
Ready for tomorrow. Alive again
once more,
For only You are welcome to come inside my door!”
Jim Strickland Written Wednesday, 22 February 2012
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