You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3
We spend approximately 30 percent of our lives sleepingor trying to sleep. Today
there are more than 300 sleep disorder clinics in the United States. There are also 90
million Americans who snore, and they (or the people who share a room with them) spend
about $200 million a year on anti-snoring remedies.
Think of it! Nearly a third of our entire lives sleeping! Yet how much do we plan and
prepare spiritually for those important hours of sleep?
For many years, a friend of mine has followed a simple guideline he refers to as HWLW,
which stands for "His Word the Last Word." Every night, just before turning out
the light, he reads a passage from the Bible or meditates on a verse he has memorized.
Before he goes to sleep, he wants the last word he thinks about to be from Godnot
the evening news or the weather, not the late-night talk-show host or the celebrity guest,
but a final word from the Lord.
Is it possible that the words of Isaiah 26:3 could apply to our subconscious as well as
our conscious minds? Wouldn't "perfect peace" for the person "whose mind is
stayed on" the Lord make for a good night's sleep?
Why don't we all try it? "His Word the Last Word"spiritual preparation for
a peaceful night's sleep!
-DCM
Putting It Into Practice
Before going to sleep, read a portion from the Bible
or recall a verse you read earlier in the day.
Meditate on God and your relationship with Him.
Before you turn out the light, turn to the light of God's Word.