The Blind Hymn Writer

Sleep hasn’t come easily to me lately. One of the most calming things I have found to do in the night, when my mind won’t shut down or I am dealing with anxiety, is to open the Bible app on my phone and read a chapter or two.

In the night, when the world is quiet and I am all alone, I can feel a different kind of worry and a different kind of darkness. Yet, in the night, when the world is quiet and I am all alone, I can also experience a different kind of concentration and I can make the most of a different kind of silence.

When I read my Bible in the night, I not only have the chance to forget the worries that are on my mind, but I also have the opportunity to really focus on what I am reading without anyone interrupting me. When I read my Bible in the night, I have the chance to understand things in a new way. Jesus came to set us free from sin and death, and all the brokenness that comes along with it. Jesus wants us to come to Him for help whenever we are feeling distressed.

I want to sleep well. I pray and ask God for good sleep each night. But there is something to be gained through waking in the night and having the chance to get closer to God in the quiet. Like a kid going to their parents’ bed after a bad dream, I turn to God for comfort. • Emily Acker

• Has reading the Bible ever helped you when you were feeling stressed?

• Sleep is an important part of our physical and emotional health. Sometimes, we need help in order to give our bodies the sleep we need, and that’s okay. If you have difficulty sleeping, who is a trusted adult you can talk to, such as a parent, counselor, or doctor?

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I [ Jesus] will give you rest.†Matthew 11:28 (CSB)

Read Verses:

Ps.30|Eph.5.18-Eph.5.20|Ps.96.1