If I asked for a “show of hands” of everyone who has ever dealt with insomnia before, I bet most of us would have at least one hand up. Of course, some might have both hands up and be balancing on one foot! When I get insomnia, it’s never for just a night at a time. No, it seems to run for several nights until I’m so exhausted, I can’t hold my head up anymore. This has been one of those weeks. I probably haven’t slept a total of ten hours in the past three nights. I wonder how I’m able to function during the day – let’s just say that it’s probably “for the love of coffee (and flavored coffee creamers!”
The Bible actually says quite a bit about sleep. Proverbs 20:13 says, “Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.” If you spend too much time sleeping, then, you are lazy and will end up poor. We know that Jesus slept peaceably in the back of a boat during a storm on the Sea of Galilee. (Mark 4:37-41) He had nothing to fear because He knew that His heavenly Father was not asleep. David felt the same when he said, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8). “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me” (Psalm 3:5).
Jesus’ disciples didn’t have an insomnia problem in the Garden of Gethsemane. While Jesus went deeper into the garden to pray on the night of His betrayal, He came back and found them sleeping. One of the saddest questions in the Bible to me is what He said at that time to Peter, “Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye, and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:37-38). This He did two more times before He came back the third time and told them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come” (Mark 14:41) This was His last “free” hour before His arrest. If they had known, would it have made a difference? Would you have stayed awake?
Paul uses the term “asleep” to describe those who have already died. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” (I Thessalonians 4:13). I have no doubt that sleep will be much less of a priority when are gathered with the angels and saints around the throne of God, so maybe lack of sleep is just a reminder that we’ve still got a ways to go before we are home in heaven with God. Oh, how we are simply blessed, Sweet Dreams. . . Courtney
You need to see your doctor–you need your rest. You do your part and God does the “rest”. Love you.