sleep in peace

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8 NIV Sleep. Something central to God’s design for us. Yet millions find it hard to sleep. A recent study reported that spending related to sleep aids has increased by nearly 9 percent a year, and now totals more than $32 billion. Part of the problem may be the lack of balance in a person’s lifestyle, or simply the pressures of daily life. One recent study confirmed that Americans are working more and sleeping less. Discussing this study, an executive at the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research commented, “Sleep is as important as a healthy diet and exercise in terms of health and well being.” Yet more than half of adults admit they are not getting enough sleep. Nearly 70 percent say they have troubles that make it difficult to sleep. Every Christian should realize that the starting point for rest and sleep is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Just think about the life of Jesus. When crossing the Sea of Galilee on a boat, He fell asleep, and remained asleep even though a storm raged all around. Terrified, the disciples were amazed that Jesus could sleep. When they woke Him, He simply “rebuked the wind and the raging waters.” He said to the disciples, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:22-25). The Bible assures us that God wants us to have faith that He can give us peace and rest. He does not want us overwhelmed with problems, but wants to take away our burdens. He wants us to trust in Him and not be plagued with stress or worry. Not to allow the uncertainties and pressures to dominate our lives. Today, if your life is filled with turmoil, God promises to give you His peace. And if you ever have trouble sleeping, call on Him. Remember His Word: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Prayer Father, grant me Your peace and rest, and remove tension, turmoil, and anxiety from my life. I have faith in You. Thank You for Your protection and blessing. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

draw near to God

The need to be supplied   
   "For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:19 (ASV)

 The very nature of the Christian life requires that we spend time with the Lord, because the Christian life is a supplied life. It is a life that is supplied to us. It has nothing to do with our own resources or any potential in ourselves. It has everything to do with our opening up to Another life to be supplied by that life from beginning to end. The Christian life is a life that has been prepared for us and is then furnished to us by God. He intends to continually supply Himself to us. It is for this reason that we need to spend time with the Lord--to receive the supply. When we hear the truth from the Scriptures or from others, we may take it as a personal demand upon us and feel threatened. We may think, "I'm not like that. I could never do that. I can't imagine that I could ever feel that way. I just can't live up to that." With these kinds of thoughts and feelings, if we do not realize that the Christian life is a supplied life, we may conclude that this life is not for us and give up. But listen to this. Every word that God has spoken in the Bible, whatever it is, whatever apparent demand it brings, God wants to supply that very thing into our being. It is not that we are expected to "measure up," or come up with the ability to perform in ourselves. No, God intends to continually supply Himself to us. We must understand the Christian life in this way--it is a supplied life. From beginning to end, it is supplied to us. And this supply comes to us and is dispensed into us in a very special and enjoyable way--by spending time with the Lord.
 God is in your desire 
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13
 We may live for years having desires to spend time with the Lord in a regular way. We may experience these desires to a greater or lesser degree, depending upon our spiritual situation. Nevertheless, we may not be aware of the fact that the very existence of these desires stirring within us is God operating in us. God works in your will to incline you to spend time with Him. He operates to that extent. But He does not take us over, obliterating our faculties and human responsibility and forcing us to spend time with Him. He works in us to a point. Then it is up to us to take the initiative to follow through by cooperating with His worked-in inclinations and desires. In other words, God's part is to supply the desire and the inclination to be with Him. Our part is to find a private place, set the alarm clock, rise up from our bed, wash our face, get our Bible, hymnal, and other spiritual books, and begin to wait upon the Lord by reading, praying, singing, or just quietly being in His presence to enjoy Him and behold Him. We need to realize that our desires to be with the Lord are God Himself. It is not just you. It is not just your desire. It is not merely your own thought that you should spend time with the Lord. It is God! God is in your desire! God is in your inclination! God is in your thought! Now you must work out what God has worked in. Just go along with that still small voice, that slight sensation that you should withdraw yourself to pray and spend time with Him. If you obey those small nudges, you are obeying God operating within you.

receive the gift

Receive Him now                                 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."John 1:12    
   A great deal of importance is placed upon the word "receive" in the New Testament. You might ask, What does it mean to receive Christ? When do I receive Him? At what point can I say I have received Him? In the above verse, the answer to these questions does not mention joining a church or merely subscribing to doctrinal statements; neither does it require us to go through a religious ritual. It simply says--"as many as received Him." Then it says, "to them He gave authority to become children of God." The word "become" implies that we were not children of God, but by the act of receiving, an authority is imparted to us by Christ Himself to become children of God. It is by receiving Him that I become a child of God. At this point may I ask, Have you received Him? Do you have the assurance that Christ is in you? If not, you can receive Him now. You can receive Him at any time and in any place. You can receive Him by yourself or with others. While you are reading this daily selection, you can take the step to receive Him. It is as simple as receiving a gift. For example, someone may offer a pen to you. They can say, "This pen is for you. It is a gift." They can offer the pen to you all day long, but for the pen to become yours, you need to receive it. Then it actually becomes yours. In a similar way the Lord Jesus offers Himself to us through the gospel. But He is like a gentleman. He waits for our act of receiving. Whenever anyone receives Him, He instantly comes into them. It is a momentous thing to receive the Lord Jesus. You receive by confessing with your mouth, "Lord Jesus, I receive You." At that moment He gives you the authority to become His child. There is more authority in simply saying, "Jesus, right now I open to You, come into me," than in all the form prayers you have ever prayed and all the rituals you have ever practiced. The authority to become a child of God is yours by the act of receiving Him. You can do it now, if you have not already.

    

here I am knocking at the door

if anyone hear my voice and open the door.  I will come in.