For Those Who Cannot Sleep At Night

Many people are restless at night. Though the body is fatigued the mind will not shut down. All night such people do mental gymnastics trying to solve problems, worrying about the future, and entertaining defeating thoughts that strangle faith. This is exhausting but still the sleep will not come. Add one sleepless night on top of another and a person can break down in every way.

For those who suffer from disease or chronic pain the night makes everything worse. How many stay awake in agony hour after hour longing for the comfort and hope of the dawning sun. When sleep should come to bring relief the sharp pains and the nausea keep the ill awake staring at the ceiling or mindlessly flipping through television stations trying to pas the time. Some nights it feels like the morning will never come.

Then there are the guilty. Those who sin. They cannot sleep writhing in guilt and condemnation. The night brings added temptations and secrecy. It is a vicious cycle that repeats itself. Such people become vulnerable prey to an enemy who masterfully sets snares to catch unsuspecting victims.

There are many who suffer from insomnia. They simply cannot sleep. No sleep then no refreshment in the body or the mind. Night after night they toss and turn. They get up and down. They try everything but sleep evades them. It is a miserable existence. They catch a few winks during the day here and there but do not know the rest of a full night's sleep.

Most people take sleep for granted. Some require more than others but sleep is one of God's reminders that we are mortal. We have limited physical, mental, and emotional reserves. Everybody has to sleep.

Ask the student taking and all nighter cramming for an exam. Sooner or later that sleep deficit will have to be paid. Ask the night shift workers who labor while the majority rest peacefully. They have to sleep in order to make it though the next night shift. We all need sleep. Some more than others but nobody is immune.

When you cannot sleep this makes all of life miserable. Your mental faculties are sluggish. Your energy level goes down as well as your productivity. You are a driving hazard prone to doze off behind the wheel. The emotions get frayed when you can't sleep. You feel on edge and the slightest thing can set you off. Because you are so tired you resent demands on your time. Life gets harder to manage when you are sleep deprived.

Psalm 121:4 (ESV)
⁴  Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

To keep means to watch over and to protect. That is exactly what God does for His own night after night and year after year. In the night watches He stands guard. He knows when the sleep will not come. He is there to meet with the sleepless. He is there to comfort. He is there to encourage. He is there to help get through the excruciating pain. He is there to bring peace of mind. He is there to provide the way of escape out of temptation. He is there to give strength to the weary He is there to speak and give counsel. He is there to lift burdens. He is there remove the guilt of sin. He is simply there. How do I know this?

Our God doesn't need sleep. He never gets tired. He never needs a nap. He never takes a night off. He always works the night shifts. When you cannot sleep know He is there. He is available. He is on night watch.

That may not mean the insomniac sleeps any longer or those in chronic pain get immediate relief. What it does mean is that you are not alone. You do not endure the sleepless nights alone. He is there and He is available.  He keeps His children. Hopefully that comforts you to make it through another sleepless night. 

Father, I lift up all those who cannot sleep. I ask You to bless them with the gift of sleep. Whether that be in the form of a nap today or a full night of rest this evening I ask You to give Your beloved sleep. We are all fail. You know what the sleepless need. I ask You to meet them at their point of ned and let the peaceful sleep of babies fall on all the weary. I ask You to refresh bodies, minds, and emotions. In Jesus' name, amen.