Sleeping and Awakening in the Lord's Care
 

by Matt Adams

"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." - Psalm 4:8 NKJV

"Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up." - Psalm 5:1-3 NKJV

If we are serving God as we ought, we have this comfort. We can pray to God and know that He will hear and He will answer (Jas 5:16). However if we're living unrighteous lives, our Lord will not answer our cries for we are separated from Him so long as we live in sin. Were you able to rest peacefully last night due to your pure state before Him; have you awakened this morning to praise and glorify His name, giving thanks for yet another day to serve Him? Will you live in such a manner as to abide in His care throughout this day, will you draw near to Him, will you serve Him faithfully (Jas 4:7-8)?

If we abide in Him, we shall surely dwell in safety and in peace; if we abide not in Him, sheer terror awaits us for eternity (Ps 23; Mt 25:41-46). The choice is ours. What shall we do with this day, while it is still called "today" (Heb 3:12-13; Mt 6:25-34)?

"Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!" - Psalm 66:16-20 NKJV

"I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord. May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!" - Psalm 104:33-35 NKJV

 

Other Articles by Matt Adams

If Today Was the Last Day
Without Hope
When Our Loved Ones "Lose" Their Moral Compass