MAKE YOUR BED WITH WHAT JESUS SAID

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Psalm 63:6

      The older I get the more I appreciate a good night’s sleep. Sleep is one of God’s greatest gifts and we should thank Him for it before we go to bed and when we rise out of bed in the morning. There are lots of advertisements promoting products promising pain relief, vibrant health and a good night’s sleep. While Relief Factor, Balance of Nature, and My Pillow have good intentions, the greatest benefit is most likely realized by their sponsor’s pocketbooks. When the Bible says that Jesus provides all our needs, that means sleep and rest included. God knows we need rest to revitalize and replenish physically and spiritually. Remember God Himself rested on the seventh day after His six days of creative work. He rested not because He was tired, but because He was finished with creation. We though are not God, and we do get tired probably because we really never get finished; on earth anyway.

      There is an old idiom that says, “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it.” It is an old French proverb dating back to around 1590. It means that since a person has chosen to do a particular thing, they must now accept the unpleasant results of their action. On the other hand, if a person chooses to do and believe the right and true things, then surely they will be benefited with a pleasant, peaceful conscious. So let’s take a proverb of mankind that focuses on problems, and replace it with the promises of God which focus on peace.

     Make your bed with what Jesus said! Listening to soft music, reading a book or counting sheep will not provide the rest that listening to The Shepherd will. Of course, the Holy Spirit has to give us hearing ears in order for us to get the most out of what Jesus said. We don’t have to have a degree in theology to appreciate what Jesus said. Actually, we don’t have to under- stand all that He said. We must believe what Jesus said though if we’re going to get any rest in this life.

     Words are powerful! God spoke this world and universe into existence as He created all things out of nothing.

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the wa- ters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

Genesis 1: 2,3

In an even more miraculous display of word power, God spoke to the hearts of spiritually dead sinners like us opening our eroded, clogged ears enabling us to hear His voice and rejoice in His merciful, wondrous 

salvation by grace.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you. The hour is coming, and now is, when live.” John 5:25

We all cherish the words we remember being said of a deceased loved one, a friend, a teacher, or even a preacher! Often, these voices keep speaking to us, especially when we face certain challenging situations. The words of wisdom from a godly father or the words of comfort from a godly mother still echo today beyond the chatter of social media and the chit chat of a chaotic culture. We can be assured that our Heavenly Father, who called us out of nature’s darkness by His beloved only begotten Son’s bloodshed shouts from the cross at Calvary, will not quit speaking to us. We may forget or neglect talking to God, but God will never stop talking to us.

     The Bible contains over 800,000 words, all said by God. Even though it was

written by men, the Bible was spoken by God. These wonderful words are to be taken seriously, read faithfully and lived earnestly. When we do so, our lives will be fulfilling and purposeful, and we’ll rest much better too!

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteous- ness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works!” II Timothy 3: 16,17

Not only is the word of God inspired by God, it is also ordered by God. In other words, every word is in the right place for the right time. Every word of God is perfectly set in place to point to Jesus and to paint a picture of God’s glorious redemption. It is truly humbling to be dealing with a desperate dilemma, or maybe being discouraged and not knowing what to do and then, almost out of nowhere, God sends His comforting word. We read a verse in the Bible and we know that’s exactly what we needed to get us through the mud, mire, and madness.

     It’s important to take note of the source when someone says something. We are living in a culture of liars and many people use words to promote their own agenda and destroy yours and mine, even God’s if they could. I remember my mother saying, “When you lay down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.” Now she didn’t intend that saying to criticize those of you who sleep with their canine companions, although no one slept with their dogs in her time like they do now days. The meaning of that saying is that you should be careful who your companions are or who you're listening to because they will influence you. In other words, there will be consequences with whom or what you make your bed!

     From Genesis to Revelation are words said by God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit. If the Holy Trinity, The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit are one (and they are), then every word harmonizes and creates a holy awe. During Jesus’ earthly ministry though, He said many wonderful words and did many merciful miracles, all endorsed by His Heavenly Father and The Holy Spirit. There is no way finite minds like ours could ever embrace all the words of Jesus nor know all the wonder- ful things He did. In fact, all Jesus did, and surely all Jesus said is not contained in the Bible.

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” John 21:25

However, there are some words our Lord said that we can comprehend in little childlike faith which will provide a cozy recline and resilient refuge in a counter culture world of pain and problems. This world won’t be around forever, but the words of Jesus will! He said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35). We shouldn’t allow the world and the devil to outtalk Jesus. Remember when the devil tried to talk Jesus into sinning, He simply said, “It is written.” That was more than the devil could take, so he left him alone.

     The point of fairy tale fable, “The Three Little Pigs,” is that it matters what material you use to build your house with. If we make our beds with our feelings, the winds of worldliness will toss it around like straw. And if we make our beds with what people say they would do or what we should do, we’ll end up with splinters in the “should” and termites in the “woulds.” But if we make our bed with what Jesus said, we’ll be secure inside the unbreakable bricks of promises and provisions. The wolves and
worries may holler outside, but we can snuggle in the arms of our Saviour’s ever-lasting arms.

Jesus said: “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” John 10:28

     One of the most important components of a bed is the frame! Think about it, how well could you rest in your bed if you weren’t sure the frame would support you. No matter how soft the mattress, how silky the sheets or how pretty the spread, there’s no way you could get a good night’s sleep on a bed supported by a shaky, weak frame. Spiritually speaking, there is no way a child of God could really rest in the assurance of never losing eternal salvation unless the frame of faith is made of what Jesus said. That’s because we are still sinners even after God saves us by His grace. The best thing about Jesus is that He not only saved us, He also keeps us saved. Eternal life is a precious gift from God and eternal means forever and ever, never -ending.

     When we make our bed with what Jesus said, we’re using “hand" made material. Our life and purpose is not going to fall through the cracks of carelessness or disobedience. What comfort it brings to lie down knowing that everything is in God’s hands, even ourselves.

“In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all man- kind.” Job 12:10

The hymn, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” will provide more serene sleep than a bedside recording of a waterfall! The song pro-

claims that God has the wind and the rain, the tiny little baby and everybody here in His hands. Sleeping on the sovereignty of God will revitalize us, ever energizing us to face whatever God sends our way.

Jesus said:

 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

     I grew up in a home which did not have central heat and air conditioning. As a boy, I remember at bedtime standing by the fireplace as long as I could and then running and jumping into my bed, my cold bed! The other part of that bedtime plunge was that I didn’t move once I got into my spot. The mattress was cold intially, but the longer I lay there, if I was still, I began to feel the warmth on the mattress. This verse from Jesus is sort of like a mattress we lay on in that it seems cold at first, but the longer we lay on it, the warmer it gets. The troubles and trials we have in this life are often hard to lay on. And like an uncomfortable mattress, instead of stillness and rest, we find   ourselves tossing and turning all night. Jesus never promised us a bed of roses but He does promise never to leave us or forsake us. Did you know that everything that comes to us good or bad, has to come through Jesus first? That means everything that happens to us, God either causes or allows. Now if you don’t believe that, no wonder you’re not sleeping good at night.

     Christians are not immune from pain and hurt, rather God causes the same so that we can build up our immunity by exercising faith and trusting His faithfulness. So when hurt and disappointment comes don’t try to find another bed. If you lay still in the circumstances you’re in, believing it’s God’s will, then He will send the warmth of His presence and the comfort of His grace.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Jesus said: 

“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

The most intimate part of our bedding are the sheets. And, we must be between the sheets to really rest comfortably. Sometimes in this life we can get between a rock and a hard place. This impossible situation calls for a power greater than ours. Instead of looking for “three sheets in the wind,” we can crawl between the sheets of God’s promises for the solution to every difficulty:

 “...for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5)

and 

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)

     The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith. The resurrection not only sealed the deal of Christ’s payment for our sins, it also conquered our greatest enemy—death! Because Jesus lives we can face tomorrow and because Jesus died, we can face today. He died for us so that we would have the strength and desire to live for Him. They may not show in a furniture store showroom, but the sheets make all the difference in our beds The empty tomb in which our Lord and Savior lay had sheets too. Jesus left them folded and clean as a reminder of the peace He offers and the salvation he secured.

     If we don’t rest well at night, there is a good possibility we will be in a bad mood in the morning. When we sleep between the sheets of Jesus’ pure words, we will be of “good cheer” no matter the trouble we face and the foes we have to fight. When we make our bed with what Jesus said, we will wake up with a smile just because we are His children.

Jesus said: 

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” John 19:30

     “It is finished” is the pillow that we rest our heads upon when we make our beds with what Jesus said. Probably most of us think over the day we have lived as we first lay our heads on our pillows at night. Our pillows are often prayer altars where we remember our sins committed during the day and ask God for forgiveness. Pillows are also good prayer partners as we think of our loved ones and others we know who need help and need the Lord. There are few pillows without tear stains!

     When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant that the Father’s business of dying for the sins of His people was completely finished. That means our sin debt is fully paid off! Jesus Christ didn’t just make a down payment and require us to keep up the installment payments. Rather, He paid God all owed on our behalf. There are a lot of things in this life you and I will never finish. Often that fact keeps us up at night. But when we understand that Jesus finished the most important thing, the things we can’t seem to finish are like feathers in our bed.

One of my sleep habits is that I “scrunch” my pillow up, almost folding it in half to get it just right for a good rest. The finished work of Jesus can be folded and twisted, turned over and bundled, but all that just makes the truth fit better. Nothing we can do or not do can unfinish, nor diminish the perfected work of Jesus on the cross. What Jesus did for us on the cross was to take away our sins and give us His righteousness.

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accept- ed in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:6

This is not a dream! It is a pillow of truth. Sleep on it!

     Sooner or later all of us are going to have to get some rest. The religious rat race will wear our souls thin. Trying to please everybody is a race we cannot win. Sometimes we can be running from God and not even be aware of it. If there has ever been a time in our lives where we need to make our bed with what Jesus said, it is now! The Lord has provided us with plenty of bedding material.

Sleep Tight!

Brother Randy