In mid September I began memorizing the third chapter of Colossians. Oh, what a joy this chapter of Scripture has been to my heart! I have mediated on it over and over as I’ve put this chapter in my heart. There are so many wonderful truths about my position in Christ, and then the reminder of the things that should be a part of my life because I am in Him!
When I shared my desire to memorize this chapter last month, I promised to give an update. My goal was to learn one verse per day, but it was a bit too challenging. My struggle isn’t each learning individual verse, but saying them in order! The Lord is giving me understanding as I keep rehearsing the chapter each day. I am really enjoying using the Bible Memory App. It really makes it easy to review my verses anywhere. I am now up to…
Verse 21. It’s exciting to me that I only have four more verses to go in this chapter!
There have been many nights that I awake in the middle of the night, wide awake. It’s been my practice this month to begin repeating Colossians 3 in my mind. Before I know it, I’ve gone back to sleep! I dream peacefully and get good rest.
Psalm 119:52
I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord; and have comforted myself.
This is no boast…I’m very slow and I don’t have nearly the amount of Scripture memorized that I should have at this age. I only share this to keep myself accountable. I also pray it challenges you to be memorizing God’s Word! What a treasure it is.
A friend recently told me that she was so encouraged when she heard a recent broadcast of mine when I said something like…
Maybe with all the difficult things going on in the world you’re having a bit of a hard time getting motivated in your home. I want to encourage you today about how helpful it is to keep moving forward especially during these difficult days. If we can’t have the confidence that home will be a place of comfort, where will we go?
Make home the best place to be. Create a warmth that draws your family back. Plan for game night with popcorn and hot chocolate. Keep the house tidied up so it feels welcoming. Decorate for the upcoming season. Light a new, fresh candle. Make comfy places for people to sit and read. Maybe this is the time to change the furniture around for a fresh look in your living room? Home is a gift, and the woman is the one who sets the tone.
We can wonder during these difficult days if we’re being frivolous to decorate our homes for fall, plan a delicious meal with friends, or take our kids to the pumpkin farm. When there are some people who are hurting so deeply, are we being uncaring?
No. Not if we’re still mindful of those needs and aware of the One Who can intervene. We can represent the hope of Christ as we gather as a family and have friends in. Remind them of the truth that He is the light in our dark world. He is the giver of eternal life. He is the anchor in our storm. He will make all wrongs right one day.
Gather together and pray for those suffering. Lift their names before the Lord. It’s in that place that we can make a difference. It’s at the Throne of grace that we can help bear their burden.
Why not also find a way you could comfort someone you know? Could you take a meal? Send a card? Make a pie? Call to pray with them?
Your family also needs the comfort of home when things are hard. So take the time to ~
Decorate your porch
Hang a pretty fall wreath
Gather Dried flowers or branches and fill a vase or urn
Put warm blankets on the back porch for the fall evenings
I Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer.
My heart is truly heavy for so many today. If you’re one who has shared a difficulty, please know that I am praying for you. God has not forsaken you. He loves you. Spurgeon said, “When you can’t see God’s hand, trust His heart. He has not forsaken you, friend.
The Lord is good; a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him. Nahum 1:7
If I can pray for you, please leave a comment or email me at the email address you’ll find on my contact page. I would love to help bear your burden.
Her disheveled hair and dark-circled eyes made it obvious that her Insta-story on Instagram had been made in the middle of the night. A female author I follow there posted a few minutes of herself talking about her struggle to sleep…again. It seems her nighttime fitfulness has become a regular part of life for her. Her hopeful remedy was going to be a series on television and a hot bourbon. She asked her viewers who else was struggling to sleep. She said – I think it’s all this unrest around us. So much sickness. So much change even during the Christmas season. I just don’t know how to cope. Then she asked her viewers a question – Please tell me how you cope when you can’t sleep.
I gladly answered her question then, but then I got a fuller answer from the Lord just a couple days later.
My recent Bible reading took me to a psalm about home life and family –
Psalm 127
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
As I read, I thought of the Christmas story I’ve been contemplating and remembered that Joseph was also having a sleepless night. Remember?
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Joseph is “tossing and turning!” He had learned that Mary, his fiance’, was with child. Here he is getting ready to “build his house,” to start a family of his own, and now this! His carefully laid plans seem to be crumbling in his lap and he can’t sleep.
God saw Joseph’s unrest about his situation – and he came to tell him that this was all a part of His Divine plan to redeem the world. The Fruit of the womb was God’s (greatest) reward! This baby would be the Savior of the world! Joseph could go back to sleep and rest – even in this unusual play of events. God was doing something incredible. As Psalm 127 says, it was vain for Joseph to stay up late or rise up early. The worry or the planning was empty. In essence, God was saying,
Go to sleep, Joseph, everything’s going to be okay because I’m building your house.
No more sleeplessness for Joseph! Matthew 1 goes on to say,
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
So what has you tossing and turning in your bed, unable to sleep? If you know Christ, that baby that was born at Christmas to be your Savior, be reminded that ~
God has a sovereign plan for your life that is different than you would pick, but it’s going to be awesome!
As you build your house on Christ, you can trust Him for all the details – That includes how to serve God as a single person, or if you’ll get married and who your spouse will be, when/if you’ll have children, how to train your children, how to capture their hearts for the Lord, how to deal with your marriage issues, or how you’ll live gracefully in the golden years.
The best place to take your worries is to the foot of the cross. Jesus loved us enough to care for the greatest need of our lives (the penalty of our sin), and He will care for every other need. Stop worrying, and instead, slip out of your bed, either literally or mentally. Bow before Him and hand over the details of your worries. If you drink a hot bourbon, it will only comfort you until it wears off. Jesus already knows about your cares, as He did Joseph’s and He already has a plan. Why not lean in and listen, then go to sleep.
Be ready to obey when you arise from sleep. After that good, heaven-sent sleep, do as Joseph and rise up from your sleep and do what He tells you! Is it really that easy? Yes, it really is that easy.
But friend, if you don’t know Christ as your Savior, your sleeplessness is meant to draw you to Him. He is your only hope of salvation. You can go here to read more about how to trust in Christ and know Him personally. He loves you! There’s no need to lose sleep when Christ came to give you His rest.
Here at Christmas we’re thinking about that blessed “Fruit of the womb” who changed not only our future destiny, but our present circumstances!! What reason to rejoice!
What did I tell my Insta-story “friend?” “I take my worries to Jesus and go back to sleep.”
How would you answer her question about how to go back to sleep?
