God's Peace for When You Are Anxious About Tomorrow

As you sink into bed tonight, exhausted, are you already thinking about tomorrow’s meetings, next week’s obligations, next month’s deadlines?

You’re anxious about tomorrow… and the next day… and the next.

Whether you’re a busy mom who’s worried about your child’s future, an overwhelmed college student in the throes of midterms, or a rising executive with demands pulling from every direction, it’s difficult not knowing what tomorrow will bring. This anxiety is something that keeps many people awake at night — but does it do any good?

One result of anxiety is that it can certainly make you feel productive. At least you’re keeping a running tally in your mind of things to do, scenarios that could go wrong, or new ideas to explore, right? But the problem is this: you can’t keep going all the time. Your mind and body need a break. You need a break. Your boss needs a break. Even the president needs a break sometimes.

The best thing you can do for yourself is take time to rest. True rest doesn’t look like collapsing into bed, nerves fried and adrenaline pumping, either. It looks like letting your mind, body, and soul rest in the palm of the Lord.

True rest always involves surrendering to God.

God doesn’t tell us to rest for His own good — He tells us to rest for our own good. God worked six days and rested the seventh. He was — and is — the mastermind behind the entire world, yet He took time to give Himself a break. To cease from working, to cease from creating, cease from doing.

• Emulate the Lord’s pattern of work and rest tonight.

While you are in bed you can’t work efficiently and you certainly can’t get anything done. Nighttime calls for rest. There may be unforeseen challenges ahead tomorrow, and there might be things that have been left undone today. But the Lord tells us not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34).

Sink into your bed letting a wave of relief wash over you; tomorrow is not yet here. You have nothing on your agenda right now except for sleep.

Ask the Lord to lift the burden of anxiety off your shoulders.

As sure as the stars twinkling in the night sky, He will answer your request. As gently as the crickets sing throughout the evening, the Lord will come to you. Rest tonight, dear one. The Lord is near.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. — Philippians 4:6

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken. — Psalm 55:22

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. — Psalm 34:17 ESV

But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. — Leviticus 25:4 ESV

Prayer

I come to You with a troubled, anxious heart, Lord. I ask You now to take away my anxiety and fear so that I can rest deeply tonight. Please answer my prayer quickly!

Excerpted with permission from God’s Peace for When You Can’t Sleep, copyright Thomas Nelson.

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Your Turn

Tomorrow can wait. Tonight we need to sleep. Especially if last night (or the last few nights) have been spent tossing and turning with stress and worry. Tonight, let’s give it to the Lord and remember that we can trust in our good God to take care of us and never let us go. Come join the conversation on. We want to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily