Psalm 3:5
I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
Psalm 4:8
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Psalm 16:9
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
Shalom and Good Morning
I wanted to share thoughts and understanding in how Great and intimate our God wants to participate in our lives. How much he knows what we need and to include our rest.
First, its very important that as people , to be able to get the proper rest for our bodies to rebuild and recharge. Through proper sleep it is proven that muscles rests and hormones are released. Its also proven without proper rest our bodies can suffer heart attack and many other health issues.
You can google this topic all day and plenty of articles will address this issue . Sleeping effects , Better moods, better sex, better exercise etc, and the list will go on.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why
But my concern for bringing this to your attention is because I have dealt with the lack of sleep in the past and what it does to you physically spiritually and emotionally , so you can address it in these 3 key areas of your life properly.
If your reading this article and have dedicated your life to Yeshua Hamosiach ( Jesus Christ) then you will have to understand a basic and simple thing in your walk. You are a soldier now in the Kings army in heavenly places. In the spiritual realm and in the physical realm, sleep depravation is used to weaken the enemy. If your a believer in Jesus Christ and is trying to dive deeper into your relationship with God, you will come to may obstacles trying to knock you off that path.
It is easier for the enemy to divert and deceive you , if your frustrated with sleep depravation. It is a trick of the enemy. Being sleep deprived can manipulate many people to use sleeping type drugs and use alcohol where they not normally would do. Again this can alter ones thinking pattern and bodily health.
God knows this , he created you in His image. He even gives us scriptures about our health and sleep and resting. In the Lord there is freedom , rest, and protection. He gives us plenty of tools to go to battle with. However, the enemy doesn't want you to know these things and use all of God's fullest and sufficient tools that He provides for us.
In the Freedom of Jesus Christ, the enemy will be on a continuous rampage against your soul, using all areas of your life where you have been weak in . However first, it is easier to weaken your weak areas , if the foundations of strong areas are broken down spiritually and physically and emotionally. That is your sleep.
So let me draw your attention to the whole amor of God :
Ephesians 6:10-12 (AMP)
The Armor of God
10 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. 11 Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.
The Importance of continuous prayer and battle is our life line and connection that God gives us and our tools that is need for us. God promises our rest and health in Him. Through our constant pressing in and faith in Him through our struggle everyday in every situation. Our understanding will be able to rest in Him and His promises. With that He will give you peace. This builds our faith and trust in Him at greater levels so our peace and our rest is not stolen. Each level we pass through in Christ the battle seems to get worse and the test seems to be harder. However, the basic foundations to our Faith do not Change. It will grow our Faith to levels we haven't seen before and didn't realize we needed to gain. BUT God knew! He has a blessing and a promise for you around that corner. its up to us to press in and forth in HIM.
If you Have not dedicated your life over to Jesus and struggling with many issues in your life, God has not turned His back on you. He hasn't Forgotten you. He doesn't say he could careless about you. He cares much about you and is hoping you reach out to Him and is waiting on you to do so. The spiritual realm will still attack you, to keep you in a continuous loop of Sin and failure. So that you don't dedicate your life to Jesus for that freedom. Jesus Christ, means "God's Salvation."It is through His salvation you find freedom of sin , freedom of sickness and especially you find his rest.
Jesus Said :
Matthew 11:28-30Amplified Bible (AMP)
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”
This " rest " is a true rest in every sense of this word. If your not resting and have been frustrated with the lack of sleep and peace and Haven't Given your life over to Jesus , its because you are in the way of allowing God to do his work in you. You are the one that is blocking what God is wanting and will do for you. Thats why God tells us not to do this or that . Those things blocks our relationship with Him. It Pushes Him aside. God will not force anything on you. He will watch and wait for you to reach out to Him so he can snatch you out of the bad situation. Hoping that you will turn your life over to HIM so he can rescue you from what you don't see or understand that are dangerous for you physically and spiritually.
Giving your life over to God is simple. Its trusting in the Lord. Its holding on to His promises. Its repenting all your sins in your life and asking for forgiveness To God himself. Through that its also forgiving. Its allowing God to take all your worries , fears and burdens and carrying it for you.
How does that look like. An example of that is when a child scrapes his knee, starts bleeding, cries, worries and the child's mother quietly cleans the knee up and puts an bandage on it, then kisses the knee. The child says it still hurts . But she says it won't for too much longer and the tears dry up from the child. The Child unconditionally trusts their parent . It the same for us too with God. Its that unconditional trust with God.
Shalom and Amen!
In Yeshua Ha-Moshiach
Jay Isaac Grebin
