Every now and again social media makes me laugh out loud. Recently, somebody posted a message on Facebook, and it got me to chuckling. It read:

Brain at 3 am.

I can see you are trying to sleep.

So, I would like to offer you a selection of every memory, unresolved issue, or things you should have said or done today, or in the past 40 years!

Isn’t that an accurate depiction of some nights? You get to bed early. Your body is craving the rest. But your mind takes that opportunity to start a review process. And the reviews don’t seem to focus on all the great stuff of life, but rather the tough stuff.

A few months ago, I was in that cycle, and I really didn’t like it. So, I went looking through God’s Word for a response. I wanted to be able to tell myself and any of Satan’s crew that were trying to trip me up, that God was in control and the past was the past. I wanted my mind and heart to focus on Him and His plan for the next day.

Here are some of the wonderful verses I found:

Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

Proverbs 3:24 “When you lie down, you will not be afraid, when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

Once I found these passages, I wrote them down on three by five cards and stacked them on my nightstand. So now, when my mind starts its negative spin, I grab one of these cards and remind myself of the message from the Lord.

He is in control. He will forgive those foibles that I recognize, confess and forsake. He has a plan for my redemption, on an eternal basis and for every single day. He knows. He cares. He has a future for me. And it starts right after a good night’s sleep.

And then I shift my focus to prayer. I pray for family, friends, folks I work with, people at church, neighbors and a few of those guys I don’t like very much. An amazing thing begins to happen. My attitude changes. It really does.

And sleep comes.

I invite you to visit with the Lord even in the midst of a jumbled night. “In peace you will lie down and sleep….”