There have been many nights that I could not sleep because of pain. The only way I would get through those long, painful, sleepless nights would be to have a hymn or praise song continually going through my head and focusing upon it.
My favorite daily devotional is Streams In The Desert. I read it every morning before I spend time in the Word. It always greatly encourages me. The other day I read this verse, "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?"{Job 35:10}. It suddenly hit me, God was the One giving me songs through those long, painful nights to keep my mind focused upon Him!
Another devotional that meant a lot to me was this one ~
I once met a poor woman who earned a meager living through hard domestic labor but was a joyful, triumphant Christian. Some woman came to her and asked her how she could be so joyful when her future is so uncertain. She began listing all the "what ifs." The poor woman cried, "Stop!!! I never 'suppose. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. It's all the 'supposing' that's making you so miserable. You'd better give that up and simply trust the Lord."
We can do all we can to prepare for the future; get an education, get a career, save a ton of money, store food, learn to be self-sufficient, marry the perfect husband, etc. yet no one knows the future and we could lose it all in an instant {consider Job}.
The best thing we can do is to simply trust God and rest in Him. "Be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid, What can man do to me?'"{Hebrews 13:5,6}.
God is our Protector and Provider. He will be with us in the long, painful nights. He will be with us if we lose everything. He promises to give us strength for whatever comes our way. We can always rest in this powerful Truth. For we know that ALL things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His will.
