Here’s a Scripture verse compilation that really touched my heart these past few days: “23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.”
Now when many people talk about this passage they talk about how Jesus said that we should not be fearful and have more faith to face the storms of this life. What gets to me is that there was a hurricane, or tornado around Him, and He was able to sleep. After days of not getting adequate sleep I find myself marveling at the characteristics of Jesus and the Holy Spirit that I would like to attain in my own life. When I wake up I feel tired and not refreshed, but in hopes of a new day I begin my day, but on the weekends when I just want to relax and find some sleep to make up for many days of having my sleep interrupted I hear everything from the dogs barking, the helicopters and airplanes, the boom boxes of the car stereos, the motorcycles, and even when I put my earplugs on I hear the sound of my own heart beating. What am I supposed to do then, tell God to make my heart stop beating so that I can have some sleep? As you can tell I am a very very light sleeper. I would say I have new parent syndrome, but I don’t think it was this bad when my little sister was born – I was still able to sleep.
We are often told that the Holy Spirit is a like a dove, and that it is so sensitive, that when you make the slightest movement it goes away, but what gets to me, after I heard from a television pastor making this revelation known, that Jesus who had the Holy Spirit in Him, was not moved from the peace of the Spirit by all the things like babies crying, foul odors, and all the situations and circumstances around that the Holy Spirit in Him, He was not moved. That same Holy Spirit is in those which believe. So if we have that same Spirit, then I can find a few reasons why people like me have not been able to sleep.
One of them is that in times when I chose not to sleep at the time I was supposed to and I slept later like past midnight to 2 or 3 am and didn’t think it was going to catch up with me, well I was wrong. Lack of discipline in a certain area can lead to consequences later on. Another thing is that when you are struggling with issues so seriously and deeply and maybe even worrying about whether or not you are going to get to heaven, or be cast out, then that worry is from the devil. The Lord says we should not worry, but take everything in prayer and supplication and make our requests be made known to God and it says simply that those that believe will receive salvation. I have looked at the commentaries for Luke 13:23, where the person asks will few be saved to Jesus, and the whole thing there was that don’t worry about whether few or many will be saved, just make sure you yourself will be saved because your own curiosity can hurt you. Another thing is overstimulation. This society in the modern age is full of overstimulation with all our gadgets, cellphones, computers, and other technologies, as well as things like coffee so we are “wired” all the time. We thought this was a thing only for today’s college students, but it seems more and more people are getting wired like this instead of taking time to just “Be still and know” that He is God. I have tried many times to “Be still and know” just to have some kind of rest and peace, but every body everywhere with all kind of electronics are making all kinds of noise.
It didn’t seem to be so bad before, but now even after 10pm to Midnight there is no quiet. Psalm 23 says “He leads me by the still waters and by the quiet stream”. This reminds me of a cartoon I used to watch on Animaniacs where Dot used to go around saying, “All I want is quiet, quiet, quiet, this I can’t deny it” and then when it was quiet she said, “Why’s it so quiet?” The world has seemed to have gotten louder and louder.
Recently I had a situation where I was praying for some healing for my ears which were experiencing hearing loss. I know I appreciate all that I have, but when I want to go to sleep and I hear all these noises I find myself almost wishing I couldn’t hear and that is a very dangerous place to go.
I was reading a article that the Pope has been going through some exhaustion and feeling very tired for quite awhile, and I even though I am not Catholic, I can see that there is something going on here. I’ve seen the people in Israel in the news and some of them seem like they haven’t been getting much sleep. What we need here is the peace of the LORD. We need the peace of knowing that no matter whatever our circumstances we can find rest in the LORD. Part of the problem is that people have not been observing the LORD’s Sabbath. Now I know it is debatable on exactly which day it is, but in any case there should be a day where everyone rests. In the Old Testament, they couldn’t as much lift a pencil up on the Sabbath. This time is not be used for mowing the lawn, or doing things that would not allow other people to rest. Even the animals were supposed to rest during this time. When Jesus came and was accused of doing things against the Sabbath it was because the Pharisees had taken it overboard, and they were trying to prevent Jesus from doing any good during that day. These days we use the weekend to take care of household chores and things like that.
In the Jewish customs it used to be very different. Men would go out 6 days a week and find food for their families and take care of the cattle. The women would stay home and take care of the house and the children. During the times of the Apostles they knew their main work was to spread the Gospel, but he still worked hard to be worthy of the food that was brought to him.
I don’t know if it is just me or not, but in these times people seem to be running around like chickens with their heads cut off and being very busy and even Christians don’t seem to enjoy the simple things because they are too warn out by being Martha’s and even the ones that want to be Mary’s can’t seem to be Mary’s because satan has tried to steal the love that Jesus has so freely given to give a sense of fear, guilt, and condemnation.
Matthew 11:28-30 says “28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Heavenly Father,
During these times of the hustle and bustle of everyday life and for all the people that worry about finding jobs and making an income and surviving during these hard times, help them find rest for those souls. These weary bodies that are worn out by stress, or anxiety, or just things of everyday life that have gotten them bogged down, I ask You to let them be able to relax and enjoy life to the full until it overflows. Let the people not worry no matter what goes on around them. Let them not sense any unrestlessness, and let them have a wave of calmness wash over them just as Jesus did in the boat when all the storms of life were around Him. For all the sirens that go off each day, heal the people, put off the fires, protect the victims and find justice for them. We repent as a people for turning away from you and not obeying your Word and your commands to love each other and love ourselves. We repent for not obeying Your Sabbathtime of Rest. Help the people find rest in knowing that you have provided all their needs. Forgive us all with Your abundant grace.
In Jesus Mighty Name I pray,
Amen.
singingsinglev4 