What keeps you up at night? Worry, problem solving, fear, anticipation… Maybe you can relate to an experience a friend of ours had several years ago…
When everyone was investing in the dot com market he advised his clients to get out. Following his own advice, he sold most of the company stocks and put it in cash. His competitors laughed as the stock market soared and portfolios doubled. Someone asked, in light of what many saw as a career-ending mistake, “Sir, how do you sleep at night?” He responded, “Like a baby. I sleep an hour–wake up and cry an hour, sleep an hour–wake up and cry an hour…”
Can you relate? I can! The next time sleep eludes you and worry, fear or heartache consume the night hours, I hope the excerpt from Bill Bright’s book, Promises, encourages you as it has me.
Promise: He Gives Attention (copyright 1998)
A mother and her 4-year-old daughter were preparing to retire for the night. The child was afraid of the dark, and the mother, on this occasion alone with the child, also felt fearful.
After the light was turned out, the child glimpsed the moon outside the window.
“Mother,” she asked, “is the moon God’s light?”
“Yes,” replied the mother.
“Will God put out His light and go to sleep?”
“No, my child,” the mother replied, “God never goes to sleep.”
“Well,” said the child, with the simplicity of childlike faith, “as long as God is awake, there is no sense in both of us staying awake.”
God expects you and me—with that same kind of childlike faith—not only to live good lives but also to cry out to Him in our times of need, knowing that He watches intently and gives attention to our every cry.
Again we have that helpful imagery of guiding eyes, the eyes of Him who rules and reigns over all—who is concerned about each one of His children, and equally concerned about those who have not yet trusted in Him for He is not willing that any should perish.
For the eyes of the Lord are intently watching all who live good lives, and He gives attention when they cry to Him. Psalm 34:15 (Living Bible 1971)
P.S. The rest of the story: When the dot com market did crash our friend was one of the few NOT crying through the night.