Sleep In Peace

In the late 1990's the worship team at our church introduced a chorus that quickly became a favourite not only for me personally but for many in the congregation. It was written/recorded by Hiram Joseph and simply says...

Speak Lord to me

Here am I Your servant who is calling

Humbly I await I await the moving of a mighty King

So I will seek until You speak

Many times during frustrating and/or difficult situations I have hummed, sung or spoken that song as a reminder both of my need to wait and of God's promise to hear and answer my call. It has comforted and calmed me repeatedly. Recently I was singing it at home when one of my children interrupted me to say...

Mum, why didn't you tell me I've been singing the wrong words? I've always thought it was "So I will sleep until You speak".

I laughed along with my child about the silly mistake but as the day wore on, that idea kept coming to mind...instead of taking my problems to God and then stewing about them, maybe I should practice sleeping till He speaks. I got to thinking about how Jesus was asleep in the boat with His disciples when the storm arose, causing the men great fear. I thought of how amazing it was that Jesus could sleep while the storm was raging. I thought of the paintings/prints/pictures I have seen in Christian stores of a bird safe in its nest while a storm is raging and the text that accompanies it - along the lines of "This is true peace".

I also thought of how unlike my reality that is. I tend to be like the disciples. I can't count the number of times I have frantically tried to awaken God to point out to Him that we are facing imminent disaster if He doesn't do something quickly. Or the times I have reminded Him that I've been waiting for a long time for Him to answer my call. Or the times I have asked whether He is aware of or planning to deal with the situations we are in.

Years ago one of our children struggled with night terrors; not only was that child's sleep fitful ours was too. After asking for prayer for this situation, a lady in our church suggested that we recite two verses with our child each night before bed and so we did. We immediately implemented the suggestion, ending each day saying Psalm 4:8 and Psalm 127:2b together. It was not long before the night terrors abated and sleep came easily for us all.

For the past two or three weeks, I have been singing Hiram's chorus my child's way - "So I will sleep until You speak" and reciting, as we did so many years ago, Psalm 4:8 "I will lie down and sleep in peace for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." I have also been thinking about the fact that Jesus is our peace (Ephesians 2:14) and of the power there is in simply speaking His name.

The result of my efforts? I must confess that I do still experience moments of sheer panic when I feel like I'm in a little boat being tossed about by one of the storms the weather forecasters are talking about so much now that we're into hurricane season again. HOWEVER, I am pleased to report that I am experiencing a great deal of peace that I know must come from God. I am determined to experience His peace as I wait for Him to move.

Sweet dreams!