“zzzzzzzzzzz” 

Dear Faith Family, 

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety, (Psalm 4:8). 

Insomnia.  The practice of engaging the mind when the body is ready to disengage.  The inability to stop.  The uncomfortable ability to stare endlessly at the ceiling and accomplish little to nothing while lying down.  An ugly picture of a symbiotic relationship (stress produces sleeplessness produces stress produces sleeplessness).  I think you get the picture! 

If stress facilitates sleeplessness, what do you think is keeping us up at night?  Melissa Rudy just put out an article today publishing the results of a recent poll.  In her article, she listed the top five worries at bedtime.  What do you think are the top worries? 

Insert your answers here. 

Here are Melissa Rudy’s findings.  The top five worries at bedtime are: 1) Inflation, 2) COVID-19, 3) Gun violence in America, 4) Climate change, 5) 2024 Presidential election.  Wait.  There’s a presidential election this year?!  When did that happen?! 

Is something keeping you up at night?  Well, not until you read this blog?!  What do we do when something’s stealing our sleep?  What can we do?  Request help.  David began Psalm 4 by crying out to our God.  He honestly shared his heart with our Father.  Tell God, your Father, what’s bugging you.  Tell Him why it’s bothering you. 

Remind yourself who God is.  Read what He said about Himself in His Word, the Bible.  Remind yourself that He cares.  That He is trustworthy.  That He listens.  That He is the sovereign God of the universe.  That He is the sovereign God of inflation, of covid-19, of gun violence, of climate change, and yes, of even the presidential election! 

Remember what God has already done.  Take inventory of His past faithfulness both in Scripture and in your life.  You have given me relief when I was in distress, (Psalm 4:1).  Maybe it’s time to stop counting sheep and start counting on the Shepherd! 

May His peace result in your sleep, 
Pastor Karl