What do you do when sleep doesn’t come…

I couldn’t sleep last night and so I got up to read some Scripture. Also found a book on Galatians on my shelf that I’ve had for quite some time but never read. Checked it out and found it helpfful. But I digress.

Anyway, I found comfort in Psalm 77. The Psalmist here is crying out to God but wondering if God has forgotten to be gracious, has ended his promises to care for him. One of the Psalmist’s griefs is that he remembers the days of old when he was always in worship and easily meditated on God’s character. But now he is feeling empty, weary, disturbed. Maybe he, like me, was pondering the struggle to pray and worship.

But what does the Psalmist do about this problem? He decides to remember the deeds of the Lord. Verses 11f:

I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; Surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate on all thy work, and muse on thy deeds. Thy way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? Thou art the God who workest wonders; thou has made known thy strength among the peoples. Thou hast by thy power redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph.  (NASB)

The Psalmist goes on to give specific instances of the Lord’s powerful acts in leading the Israelites with a pillar of fire through the Red Sea.

Here’s my question: Do you think the Psalmist felt instantly better? Do you imagine that he is comforted right away? Do you think you should be? Did what he was feeling in the first verses (rejected, forgotten, weary, unable to sleep or speak) immediately get replaced with joy and lightness? Sometimes this happens. But likely, he decided to recall the wonders of God’s power toward the people of God (and thus to himself) in spite of what he felt. In this way, he would not merely listen to himself and his feelings since God is bigger than the passing feelings of a creature.

I was comforted. But I wasn’t on any cloud nine. It was helpful to recall several blessings the Lord has given me the past 17 years (my anniversary is coming up this week so memories of blessings have been on my mind).

And so I went back to bed deciding to rest in God’s power and a prayer of blessing on my lips for my wife.