SLEEP?

(Disclaimer: This is not written for that cannot sleep for medical reasons. I could write a very long blog on that. Shout out to all RLS night walkers.)

SLEEP - A word which either makes you take a deep breath and relax or a word that --

This morning the news said Americans are not getting enough sleep. We are going to bed too late and getting up too early. The trouble is, when we don’t have enough sleep our bodies just do not want to make it through the day.

Oh, how good a 20 minute nap feels. Or we reach for an energy drink. Or we just force ourselves to stay awake. Work suffers. Things get put off until tomorrow. Nerves are frayed. Tension is high. Words are said and cannot be taken back. All because we wanted to:

• Watch the last of the ball game
• Finish a book
• Play one more game of Angry Birds
• Answer emails
• Twit. Tweeter. Whatever the latest fad.
• Put one more stitch in the quilt
• Eat a late night snack
• Watch a shoot-um-up
• Watch the news

Right before we go to bed we do all sorts of things that get our minds whirling. Then we cannot figure out why we don’t just drift off into peaceful slumber. Why the sandman didn’t make us a dream. (Old song.)

Well, duh! Right before bed -- we need to

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 4:8

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

SLEEP --

Right before bed we need to dwell in the safety of peace that only God can give us.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Do you get a good night of restful sleep? How often? What do you do right before you go to sleep? Do you go to bed upset because your team didn’t win? Because the news left you mad? Because the book didn’t end the way you wanted it to? Because …

LET US PRAY (Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.)

O Lord, May I dwell in the safety, You alone give. For when I dwell in Your safety, I will lie down and sleep in peace. … Amen

AMAZED? ASTONISHED? STILL?

SCRIPTURES

The men were amazed and asked, “What sort of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Matthew 8:27

All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” Matthew 12:23

He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Mark 2:12

Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. Mark 5:42

AMAZED? ASTONISHED? STILL?

These are scriptures used in a lesson from the book God in the Flesh, by Don Everts. When I read these scriptures I wondered, “Amazed? Astonished? Still?”

My gosh, surely the disciples stood around and said, “Oh, look. Jesus healed another person.” But no, they were all amazed.

And it wasn’t just a few. It was ALL.

LET US PRAY

Our Amazing Jesus, Protect the souls of believers so we never stop being amazed. Protect our souls so we never take for granted the gifts you give us:

• Every sunrise and sunset -- AMAZING!
• Every baby -- AMAZING!
• Every recovery -- AMAZING!
• Every prayer -- AMAZING!
• Every sound -- AMAZING!
• Every breath -- AMAZING!

Lord, protect the souls of believers so we never become oblivious! So we do not take for granted that the sun will rise. Or set. So we do not see birth as routine instead of precious. Protect the soul of believers so we offer honest prayers. So we really hear the birds, the breeze, the creek, the laughter of children. Protect the souls of believers so we cherish every breath.

Amazing Jesus, Protect the souls of believers so we never stop being amazed. AMEN

NOW WHERE DID I PUT THAT?

“Where are my keys?” I wondered. I needed to take Bill’s truck to get the flat tire fixed but, once again, my keys were not in my purse.

Had I left them in my jacket pocket? I have been known to do that.

Had I left them -- “Oh, no!” Bill has my car and I bet I left them in the cup holder. Again! As I was thinking this, the phone rang. “Mary,” Bill said, “If you are looking for your keys, they are in the car.” Oh does that guy know me or what?

Keys found. I don’t do this with anything other than my keys. I use them and drop them in my coat pocket. I use them and drop them in the cup holder. Then I begin the now-where-did-I-put-my-keys search.

SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 28: 2-4, 11

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.

NOW WHERE DID I PUT THAT

Think about when you cannot find something. And you search. And search. And search. Now think about those guards.

Earthquake. An angel of the Lord. Stone rolled away. You begin to shake. You become like dead. And then you realize --

The body is gone! Did the guards look in the tomb? Did they look again? Did they look at the angel? Did they look at each other and say, “We are in deep do-do.”

I wonder if they ran back to chief priests or did they slowly walk, deciding exactly what they were going to say. Did they rehearse their story? Did they walk back quietly because they could not believe what had happened? Did they draw straws to see which one was going to tell the chief priests?

“Honest we did not fall asleep! We were on guard! Then an earthquake came and we fell to the ground! Unconscious! And when we woke up, …….. When we woke up, the body was gone!”

Silly guards! The body was not lost.

SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 28:5-6, 9

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

Suddenly Jesus met them, “Greetings,” he said.

HE HAS RISEN!

Are you looking? Are you seeking? Are you wondering where you put your faith?

Look no more. Seek no more. Jesus is not lost. HE HAS RISEN! And surely HE is with you always, to the very end of the age.