Wasted Opportunity
Last night I had one of my (thankfully) rare sleepless nights. I lay in my bed for hours bemoaning my wakeful state, and worrying about how I would cope with tomorrow on no sleep. What is a wasted opportunity?
But, as so often happens, this morning the Holy Spirit slapped me upside my head (an idiom that means He knocked some sense into me) when I read these words:
“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 63:6-7).
Since I don’t recall being worried about anything, I can’t blame my sleeplessness on that. But now I can’t help but wonder if God just wanted me to spend time with Him. Maybe He was longing for me to just think about all the blessings I have as His child, all the benefits that come to me simply because I belong to Him.
Maybe He wanted me to reflect on what Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross means for me, both in this life and for all eternity. After all, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned…” (John 3:17-18).
Maybe He wanted me to just let go of my own goals and ambitions and focus on Him. The writer of Hebrews declares: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Maybe He wanted me to remember what the Holy Spirit is doing now: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26).
I could go on and on, but the bottom line for me is to remember that when those nights come when I can’t sleep, it’s a golden opportunity to spend time with my God, whether quoting/remembering all the verses I’ve memorized over my lifetime, or pouring out my deepest thoughts for the Spirit to translate, or maybe even turning on my light, opening by Bible or my Bible app, and spending time in God’s Word.
And, when I’m wakeful because of anxieties, God has a promise for that as well. 1 Peter 5:7 (Amplified Version): “Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
I can’t lose—anything but sleep!
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