Nighty Night
#HeartForTheWord
One of the most comforting parts of my childhood was bedtime. Each night, my mom or dad would send me put to on my pajamas and get under the covers. Then one of them would read me a story. When I was really small, I used to fall asleep before the end of the story. As I grew older, I could last through a short book (yeah Dr. Seuss and little golden books) and even participate in the reading.
Next to the last thing we’d do together at bedtime was pray. I changed the disturbing end of the common children’s prayer so that my words to God were:
- Now I lay me down to sleep
- I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
- Thy love please guard me through the night
- And wake me with the morning light. (I wanted no part of “dying before I woke up!)
Finally, in my nightly routine with my parents, we’d kiss each other’s cheeks (Daddy always scratched my face with his slight day’s worth of stubble), and I’d drift off into peaceful slumber.
For most of us, it’s probably been a long time since we were put to bed, but Psalm 3:5 is reminiscent of this special time. It says, “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me” (NKJ). Psalm 127:2 says, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.” My parents’ regular nighttime routine with me can help us understand the tender care and loving protection God shows us every night. No matter what the day has dished out, we can be assured that God will be there to tuck us in, share with us His special story, allow us to participate in our evening talk, kiss us with His comfort, and settle us into restful sleep.
Worship God today as the Sleep-Giver.
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©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.
Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,
Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children
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at bookstores, and on all major online book buying sites.
Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk
Also still available:
Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame
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