Zephaniah 3:17 What’s your favorite lullaby?

He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Remember what you used to do when a baby wouldn't sleep?

  Soothe the cutie who screamed in the nursery.

  Quiet your precious little angel who howled half the night.

  Reassure the toddler who cried because there was a monster in   the closet.




Remember rocking chairs and lullabies?

But no one’s there to rock us or sing to us when we’re all grown up.

We lie there, eyes wide open.

Worried about something we did or experienced that day.

Anxious about what might happen tomorrow.

Afraid because we can’t see any way out of the pit we’re in.

Excited about something fantastic that’s happening or will happen.

I've tried closing my eyes and doing some calm-me-down routine.

I've quoted verses in my mind.

I've counted my husband’s snores.

Nothing worked – until I found Zephaniah 3:17

Now, I close my eyes and imagine my Father delighting in my day, bathing me in His love, and singing to me.

What does He sing? I can’t understand the words but I relax as I envision the tenderness on His face.

Before I know it, I’m asleep!

The worries, anxiety, fear, and even the jazzed-up feelings fade away.

And I sleep.

Do you lie awake?

Find quiet in His love and peace in His singing.



When you can’t go to sleep, how do you quiet your mind?

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On the QT: The 5 W's - Why?

 

Why should we carve out time in our busy days to spend with God?

 

Why should we give up a few minutes of precious sleep?

 

Why should we give up the few minutes we can grasp in a day for this instead of settling down with a good book?

 

The first W in this series was "Who?" Check it out here.   

 

Now we ask "Why?"

 

Oh, there are the obvious reasons: 

• Build a stronger relationship with God.
• Get to know His Word.
• Be able to tell everyone how faithful you are to spend time with God every day. 

Oh, you can deny that last one, but I know better! I’ve done it myself.

 

But there are lots of other reasons that draw us to God.

 

You don’t have to read 25 verses of Scripture.

 

Quiet time with God is just that: Quiet time with God

  

Perhaps you need a bit of peace: 

• Sit with Him in silence before the kids get up and peace evaporates in the bedlam. 
• Let Him calm your mind before the “I have to…” list overwhelms you. 
• Take a minute to revel in your blessings and say, “Thank You!”
• Ask for His patience when you know it’s going to be a rough day. 

 

Maybe you have a desperate need to feel His Presence:

• Be wrapped in His love when you feel most unlovable.
• Close your eyes and feel a sense of hope only He can give you.
• Soak in His grace when you need forgiveness.
• Rest in His healing when your heart is broken.

 

And then there are times when God’s Word is exactly what we need.

 

Within its pages we find:

• Wisdom to answer our doubts.
• Words to comfort a hurting friend.
• Guidance to make a difficult decision
• Truths to soothe our fears and heal our hurts.

 

The “Why” of time with God doesn’t have one answer.

• He sits with us when we need the quiet.
• He laughs with us when we are happy.
• He speaks to us through His Word.
• God is there to meet all the ‘whys’ in our lives.

 

Why is your time with God precious?

Remember, comment to this post and you might win a copy of my Bible study, Storms of Life

 

 Photo credit: Denise B. Scott

The 7 Wonders of Psalm 23: Part Three

This is the third post in my series on the 7 wonders of Psalm 23. I pray this Psalm has blessed you as much as it has me.
To see the first post click here

He makes me lie down in green pastures, 

he leads me beside quiet waters Psalm 23:2

Green pastures…quiet waters.
A picture of a peaceful time with God.

Peaceful time?? How do we ever find a peaceful time in our hectic days?

Look at the first few words in this verse:

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Make is the operative word here, friends.

And I can tell you from personal experience: If you don’t set aside a peaceful time with God, He will MAKE you.

When my girls were little, I foolishly decided that was a good time to graduate school. Needed my head examined, right?

So, there I was, spending my days as the mother of two preschool girls.

And my nights, (you know, when you supposed to sleep) pouring over books.

Time with my husband fit in there somewhere. And, in between yawns, I prepared to teach on Sunday mornings.

If God was telling me to slow down, I couldn't hear Him over the noise of train barreling down the tracks.

Then it happened: I had a seizure.

During the hours in the emergency room, God said, loud and clear.

“I am making you lie down!”

While the doctors tried to stabilize my medicines, I couldn't drive.
College went on the back burner.
I became a stay-at-home Mom – literally.

My home became a green pasture, although it took me a while to realize it.

God did His part – now I had to do mine.

He leads me beside still waters.

The word “lead” implies there is a follower.

That is where the choice comes in.

Would I allow Him to lead me beside still waters?

Would I follow Him into the peace and beauty of a deeper relationship with Him?

To be truthful, I griped and complained, and asked Him why He was doing this to me.

I refused to be quiet enough to hear the Living Water call me to follow Him along still waters.

Time went on. They couldn't get me stable so I kept having seizures. The time I couldn't drive stretched into a seemingly endless train of months.

Finally, when I ran out of pity-party words to say, I turned to God and asked, “What are you trying to teach me?”

He brought the words into my mind:

Green pastures.

Still waters.

Imagine lying down on the cool grass and smelling the scent of wildflowers.

Imagine listing to the quiet of still waters.

If this doesn't bring peace to your heart, you need CPR!

God asks us to spend just a few minutes letting our minds rest in His cool, beautiful presence.

He offers us sweet, quiet moments in His Word, soaking our hearts in His love and wisdom.

When I think about it, why does He have to MAKE me? Why don’t I crave that precious time?

He loves you beyond anything you can imagine.

He calls you to revel in His presence.

Choose Him and you will find peace and beauty.

How has God made you lie down?

Have you found the peace of green pastures and still waters?

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6 Verses to Sleep By!

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I’ve been battling insomnia the past couple weeks.

Lie awake until 2 a.m. or so, get up for a while, go back to bed and sleep 2-3 hours.

Bummer.

I finally rummaged around and found the list of Scripture verses I use in times like this. They reassure me and help me relax.

I thought that someone out there might need these too. Most of them are in Psalms but there are a few from other places.

1.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,  he restores my soul. Psalm 23:2-3

What a peaceful image. Green pastures, still waters. Can you imagine the feel of the cool green grass and the sound of the water? Close your eyes and relax. God's there to restore you.

2. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

Sometimes our minds just won’t slow down or we’re caught in the fear of “what-ifs.” To sleep in peace is just what we need.

 

3. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. Psalm 3:5

When we struggle with worries about finances or health, this verse reminds us that He’s there to take care of us and sustain us, no matter what tomorrow brings.

 

4. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.  Isaiah 32:18

Worried about a leaky roof or an AC that can’t cool the house? Be assured that God is in control of our homes. He will provide. We can be secure in His provision and our sleep can be peaceful and undisturbed.

 

5. For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. Psalm 145:4-5

When I’m on edge, this reminds me that I am the Lord’s delight and He has given me grace and mercy. It’s wonderful to fall asleep humming praise songs of joy and gratitude

 

6. The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

One of my favorites. When we're tossing and turning, we can be assured that God is with me, that He surrounds us with His love and sings over us. I often ask Him to put me to sleep with His lullabies.

 

And most important:

Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:4

Whatever’s going on in our lives, nothing catches God by surprise! He doesn’t fall asleep and miss something. His eyes are on us 24/7.

Praise the Lord!

 

Sweet dreams!

 

 

Grandson, Rafael