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

A large, lone pelican was perched on his post, seeming to appropriate the sentinel role overseeing and guarding his territory.

Earlier that week two persons I know well were relaying to me how much trouble they have sleeping. They complained of feeling tired in the morning when they woke up, of dragging through work. The edge of alertness, and joy, was missing; Ps 118 (v.24) was definitely not on their lips that day.

I say I sleep like a rock although that’s not always been the case. For more years than I’d care to admit I had difficulty sleeping too. Anxiety, concerns, and yes even worries kept me from settling into restful sleep. I’d toss and turn as I mentally walked through the next day (or week or month) or rehearsed scenes that had already taken place. The ‘what-ifs’ and ‘maybes’ really can get you wound up.

There’s a plethora of ‘how to not be stressed’ media, as well as sleep-tips. Many provide useful and practical information. One thing that has been a great help to me over the years is the ‘medicine’ I take before I go to bed at night: the word of God.

It’s important we get the needed sleep to be refreshed for what ever it is that God’s called us to do in our waking hours. If you have insomnia like lots of others, you might want to try this. Read these five verses before you go to sleep each night. I wrote them out and keep them on a bedside table.

It is comforting to know we have a Sentinel watching over us. These promises in the Bible are not helpful, but truth as well. That’s good news.

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

“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” Psalm 3:5

“Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.” Psalm 121:4

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

Sally Ireland Kennedy is the author of Irish Thursdays: More Little Parables, Words from the Heart, and 52 Little Parables from Ireland. She is a songwriter and the creator of Poppy the Penguin® preschool music video series. Sally lives in south Florida, with her husband Ben.