Readying ourselves for rest and reflecting on God's providence.
Our lives are full. Meetings, commitments, responsibilities pack our days to the brim. We work hard to optimize our schedules--to prioritize the right things; there are so many plates we have to keep spinning and we have anxious thoughts about what might happen if we let a single one drop.
After a busy day, it can be difficult to quiet our minds and truly rest at night. Many of us prepare ourselves for bed not by winding down, but by running through the goals and tasks that await us when we wake. Our rest times are often anything but restful.
What if we established a new rhythm for our nights. What if we readied ourselves for bed not by preemptively taking on the stresses of tomorrow, but instead by letting go of the stresses of today?
When we prepare ourselves for sleep, let us be reminded of God’s providence and care. The Lord is in control; He is guiding and protecting us as we go about our day and as we sleep through the night. He willingly bears our burdens--we need not be weighed down by them. 1 Peter 5:7 encourages us, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
Let us give our worries to God as we quiet ourselves for the night, reflecting on the words of Psalm 121 and internalizing its affirmation of God’s providence over us.
1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
5 The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.
7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
As we read this passage this evening, we are comforted by the knowledge that we are in the palm of God’s hand. While we so often feel pressure and anxiety born out of a sense of responsibility to keep everything up and running, Psalm 121 reminds us that it is God and God alone who creates and sustains the universe.
This assurance helps us to reorient our evenings. We can rest easy; the Lord is watching over us. He will guide us through each coming day and preserve us throughout the night. As we prepare to go to sleep, let us give thanks for the ways in which God has helped us embrace the gift of today. Let us anticipate--not with stress, anxiety, or fear-- the opportunities He will place in front of us tomorrow. But most of all, let us breathe in the assurance that we are safe and loved; God is watching over us. We can fall asleep. Let us be at peace.
Words: Emma Tweitmann
Art: Jr Korpa
