How are You Sleeping, Christian?

 

There are lots of reasons why people struggle with sleep and lots of them are modern in their origin—screen time right before bed, too much caffeine or other medication. Some physical problems also make getting sleep difficult.

Aside from what is technologically induced, these issues are not new. Getting to sleep also seems to have been a problem for people in biblical times. There are certain universal problems that make sleep difficult. Stress, fear, trouble, and mourning all seem to send our minds into hyperdrive at just the time we want to relax and rest. Surprisingly, the Bible has a LOT to say about sleep.

The time of opportunity.

Many people who have sleep problems dread the time between when their head hits the pillow and when sleep comes. They even stay up later and later to avoid it, often making the problem worse. The Bible says that this time should be a moment of opportunity.

I call to remembrance my song in the night;

I meditate within my heart,

And my spirit makes diligent search. (Psalm 77:6)

 

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,

And in the night His song shall be with me—

A prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:8)

 

When I remember You on my bed,

I meditate on You in the night watches. (Psalm 63:6)

 

The Psalms declare that the quiet time between going to bed and falling asleep is a time of opportunity to meditate upon the greatness and goodness of our God. One of the most important Christian disciplines is to study the magnitudes of God—the greatness of His beauty, power, immensity, intelligence, creativity, love, mercy, and faithfulness.

The ancients did not sleep in the same secure environments that we do. They were often in harsh weather, outdoors, at war, and in environments where their safety was truly in jeopardy and yet they still needed the physical restoration that sleep affords. Their constant testimony is that focusing on the greatness of God brought peace.

No time for fear.

Fear is one of the great sleep robbers. Satan whispers every imaginable fearful thought in our ears as we try to drift off. He knows that some of us know fear far too intimately as our besetting sin. David, a man who clearly had to sleep in very dangerous circumstances, addresses this issue for us in the marvelous 4th Psalm.

As the Psalm opens David acknowledges the distress he is in over the danger and injustice he is suffering at the hands of his enemies. He takes solace in the fact that God has set apart David for Himself.

But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;

The Lord will hear when I call to Him.

David was full of righteous anger but that must not be turned into sinful rage. He had to calm himself as he lay on his own bed.

Be angry, and do not sin.

Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

And put your trust in the Lord.

Then he chose to meditate upon the goodness and provision of God and to remember that is God and God alone that allows us to dwell in safety. The result of that is that he could lie down in peace and sleep.

You have put gladness in my heart,

More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

If it is truly the wicked one who fills our heads with thoughts of sorrow and fear in the night watches, he will flee when his promptings only drive us to our sweet Lord in trust, praise, and thanksgiving.

Meditating on beauty.

The Biblical method for sleep time is not to put troubling things out of our minds, but rather to purposefully fill our minds with the goodness of God which is always there and never fails. Philippians 4:8 tells the New Testament believer what type of things he should think about.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

I have sometimes struggled with sleep and recently have found a biblical practice that really helps me. I love to hike and have gone on many over the years. I often take those moments on my bed to revisit one of those hikes. I go there as vividly as I can in my mind. I hear the crunch of the grass under my feet, smell the pines, and feel the cool breeze against my face. I see every step as I walk up the trail and feel the sunshine on my face. I take the entire hike in my mind and glory in God, my Savior, who created it all and holds me in the palm of His hand. The process reminds me of what Carl Boberg described in his classic hymn.

Oh Lord, my God

When I, in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

I rarely finish reliving one of those hikes before that gift of sleep that God gives has overtaken me.

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