“I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.” (Psalm 3:5 NKJV)
“So now I’ll lie down and sleep like a baby – then I’ll awake in safety, for you surround me with your glory.” (Psalm 3:5 TPT)
“I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me.” (Psalm 3:5 NLT)
“I lay down and slept [safely]; I awakened, for the LORD sustains me.” (Psalm 3:5 AMP)
“I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the LORD sustains me.” (Psalm 3:5 HCSB)
“I laid down and I slept and I was awakened because LORD JEHOVAH kept me.” (Psalm 3:5 ABIPE)
There is nothing more calming than to watch a baby sleep. The look of contentment on a baby’s sleeping face is priceless. When a baby has been fed, diaper changed, and lovingly rocked to sleep, he or she will most times drift off into a deep restful sleep. It is during the deepest part of this sleep when the baby’s body goes into full gear releasing the growth hormones needed to develop a strong healthy body. As an adult it is critical that I get the sleep that my body needs, especially “deepest sleep.”
My body was designed to daily regenerate and rejuvenate. This happens during the period of time that sleep specialists call “deepest sleep.” During this time everything is basically shut down in “repair mode.” My body releases all of the chemicals needed to repair the damage created by normal wear and tear on my bodily systems. I was not designed to age as we have come to experience aging. The only reason that I wear out is that I am not living within the design that I was created to live in. In broad terms this is what we call “sin.” Through ignorance, neglect, and abuse, I am destroying my body faster than it was designed to regenerate. It is like driving my car and never doing any of the needed maintenance to keep it running. Sleep to my body is like oil changes to my car. If I do these at the proper intervals, with the proper materials, both my body and my car will last much longer and run much better.
Sleep comes from knowing that I am going to be alright regardless of what is taking place all around me. Because David knew that his Heavenly Father heard his cries for help, and was answering those cries, he was able to lay down and sleep in the midst of imminent attacks. Like the Apostle Paul who was able to sing and praise at midnight in prison, David was able to roll his stress onto the only One designed to carry it. They both knew how to cast their cares on the Lord.
I will be at rest to the degree that I realize the care and protection that my Daddy has for me. What I see with my eyes, and what I hear with my ears, do not determine the reality of my life. I live from the inside – out. I possess the peace which passes understanding that is standing guard over my heart and mind. I am able to sleep like a baby, and while I sleep my body is being regenerated and rejuvenated; my mind is being renewed; my spirit is being refreshed; and my Daddy is fighting my battles. He’s got me covered!
Thank you Lord for teaching me…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 296: When Life Seems To Be Against Me. (Psalm 3) – Part 6 – Verse 5