The Biblical Concept of Sleep(Sleep and Stress Relief are Essential for Health)

Sleep and Stress Relief
are Essential for Health

Deep rest, sleep and stress relief go hand in hand.

Ever notice how the day seems to go better when you’ve gotten enough sleep the night before?

When we get enough sleep, even if things don’t happen exactly as planned, we take it in stride more easily.

Getting enough sleep is such a blessing.

Research shows sleep essential
for stress reduction and well-being:

• Sleep deprivation impairs the functioning of human cognitive and motor abilities.
• It also has a powerful influence on mood.
• Problems with sleeping are often associated with symptoms of depression and a feeling of diminished health.
• Insomnia can mean increased emotional distress, daytime fatigue and diminished productivity.
• Studies also suggest a sleep deficit may put the body into a state of high alert, increasing the production of stress hormones and driving up blood pressure.

Tips to enhance sleep and stress relief:

1. Go to bed at the same time every night. Your body will then get into the habit of winding down in the evening.
2. Try to be in bed and asleep before 10pm. Some experts say the sleep you get before midnight is especially valuable for rejuvenation. That way you are likely to be in deep sleep between midnight and 3 am when your body can optimally take advantage of human growth hormone.
3. Let yourself relax in the evening. It’s a great time to share with family members.
4. Try to avoid computer work or TV past 8pm. The bright light from computer screens and TVs will send a message to your body’s time clock which says "stay awake".
5. Get a comfortable mattress made of natural materials which will not outgas.
6. Keep your bedroom a comfortable temperature. Get a little space heater for the winter if necessary.
7. Eliminate clutter and distractions from your bedroom so that it feels more peaceful.
8. Keep the bedroom very dark at night. This may mean getting lined curtains, or eliminating extraneous equipment with additional little lights, or getting a clock without a luminous display.
9.  A few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow case before bed may help relaxation. I sometimes put a few drops of lavender on my head and forehead. It seems to calm my mind. (Make sure your skin isn't sensitive to lavender before you try this.)
10. A cup of warm green tea or passion flower tea can also help bring on sleep.
11. Some people find a cup on warm milk and honey before bed is helpful.
12. Many people find avoiding caffeine in the late afternoon and evening helps to insure a good night’s sleep.
13. Daily exercise  help insure good sleep. Even a 30 minute walk may be all you require.
14. Try breathing for stress relief  My favorite naturopath recommends 20 minutes of slow deep breathing before bed to boost melatonin levels and improve sleep and stress relief.

Deep breathing can also help soothe my minor aches and pains which might keep me awake.

One of my friends suggests "count 100 slow deep breaths, emphasizing the exhale, and you will probably be asleep long before you reach 100." Boring.... but it works.

(Sometimes I find it hard to concentrate on my breath that long so I combine 20 to 30 minutes of gentle walking with deep breathing to relax me before bed.)

15. Doing a 5 minute foot massage before bed can often help me unwind and get ready for sleep.
16. Some people like to write in their journal before bed. It helps them to get things off their mind and feel more peaceful with the day’s events.
17. My husband likes to spend a few minuets in the evening to write his plans for the next day. It helps him get it off his mind so he can sleep more peacefully.
18. Spending some quiet time in prayer or meditationor reflection before bed can also be a calming influence.

Sleep is when our bodies have a chance to recharge repair and rejuvenate. So it makes sense that sleep and stress relief is essential for our optimum health and well being.

Getting sufficient sleep and stress relief is an invaluable investment in the next day’s productivity and in our health in general.

  Overwork & fatigue are some of the main causes of stress
 So resist the temptation to overwork and be willing to allow your body the time for rest and recharge.

Since sleep is such a significant part of the human experience, it is no surprise that biblical writers should allude to it frequently. There are a variety of ways in which this term is employed in the literature of scripture.

 

The Biblical Concept of Sleep

 

Literal Sleep

The word “sleep” is used literally of the state of the body in normal, unconscious repose. On one occasion when Jesus and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee, the Lord was sleeping on a cushion in the stern of the boat (Mk. 4:38). This is but one of the many evidences which argue for the true humanity of the Savior.
It is interesting that the Scriptures refer to different levels of sleep. At Troas, Eutychus, in a late-night church service, was borne down with “deep sleep,” and fell from an upstairs window to the ground (Acts 20:9). Science makes a distinction between a lighter sleep (REM = Rapid Eye Movement, i.e., the dream stage) and a deeper sleep (non-REM). This is determined by the measurement of brain waves on an electroencephalograph (EEG). In adults, deep slumber represents about 75% of one’s sleeping time.

Sleep as a Symbol

The term “sleep” is used symbolically in several different senses in the Bible. A consideration of these makes a fascinating study.

1. The concept of sleeping is biblically employed to stress certain truths about God. In emphasizing the fact that the Lord is ever watchful of our needs, a psalmist wrote: “He will not allow your foot to slip; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psa. 121:3-4). As a result of the Lord’s providential care, the faithful saint takes consolation. “In peace will I both lay me down and sleep; for you, Jehovah, alone make me dwell in safety” (Psa. 4:8).
   
   On the other hand, when the Hebrew people drifted into sin, and the Lord allowed them to suffer the consequences of their rebellion, it was as if he was asleep, i.e., he did not intervene to deliver them from certain calamities. They exclaimed: “Awake. Why do you sleep, O Lord? Arise, do not cast us off forever” (Psa. 44:23).
2. Sometimes sleep is used as the equivalent of being lazy. “Do not give sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids …. Go to the ant, O sluggard. Observe her ways and be wise …. How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest. And your poverty will come in like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man” (Prov. 6:4-11).
3. Sleep can portray the utter and final punishment of a wicked power that has stood in opposition to God. The prophet Jeremiah foretold the complete destruction of the evil Babylonian regime. “… Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place for jackals, an astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant …. When they are heated, I will make their feast, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith Jehovah” (51:37-39). (For a full discussion of precisely how this was accomplished, see the author’s commentary, {glossSub (“Courier Publications”,“Jeremiah & Lamentations”)}, 175-86.)
4. Sometimes spiritual lethargy is represented as a sleep. To the brethren in Rome Paul wrote: “And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11). The apostle subsequently amplifies the significance of the figure by suggesting that the pursuit of an ungodly lifestyle is tantamount to a spiritual coma (v. 13).
   
   A similar thought is suggested in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “Awake, you who are sleeping, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine on you” (Eph. 5:14).
5. Sleep can suggest the notion of being unprepared to meet the Lord at the time of his return. Jesus warned: “Watch therefore: for you do not know when the lord of the house is coming … lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping” (Mk. 13:35-36). When Paul corresponded with the brothers in Thessalonica, he warned about a false sense of security. Folks will be relaxing in a delusional state of “peace and safety,” when suddenly destruction will come upon them. And so he admonished: “… let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thes. 5:3-6). To be awake is thus to be vigilant, ever prepared.
6. Sleep is commonly used as a designation for death, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. David petitioned the Creator: “Consider and answer me, O Jehovah my God: Lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death” (Psa. 13:3).
   
   When Lazarus of Bethany died, Jesus informed the disciples: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep ….” The Master’s men did not comprehend the nature of his language. They initially thought that Christ spoke of natural sleep; he therefore had to tell them plainly: “Lazarus is dead” (Jn. 11:14).
   
   Why is death figuratively depicted as sleep? First, there is a common appearance between a sleeping body and a corpse. The analogy is thus quite natural.
   
   Second, just as the soul of the sleeper still exists, though oblivious to its material surroundings, even so, in death the soul of man is not extinct; rather, it is only unaware of earth’s environment. Solomon asserted that the dead have neither knowledge of, nor reward for, anything transpiring “under the sun,” i.e., on earth (Eccl. 9:5-6).
   
   Third, as the sleeping person awakes and rises from his bed, just so, the dead will rise from their graves at the time of the Lord’s return. We must briefly pause and comment further about these final two points.
   
   It is not the case, as alleged by some, that the dead are unconscious, i.e., they are in a state of mindless sleep, awaiting the day of judgment. There is ample evidence that the dead are entirely conscious in their own realm of existence. Both the rich man and Lazarus were cognizant (Lk. 16:23-25), and so were the martyred souls in John’s heavenly vision (Rev. 6:9-11). (For a more detailed discussion of this theme, see “Are the Dead Conscious?”)
   
   Whenever the Bible describes death as a “sleep,” it is only the body that is under consideration. For example, Daniel referred to those who “sleep in the dust of the earth” (12:2). Note that the part of man which sleeps is that part which is planted in the dust. A common Greek word for the “sleep” of death is koimaomai (cf. Mt. 27:52), a kindred term to koimeterion, from which derives our word “cemetery,” the abode of dead bodies (see “Asleep,” W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary).
7. Finally, as suggested above, the term “sleep” implies the future resurrection of the human body. In spite of the fact that there are some who say, “there is no resurrection of the dead” (cf. 1 Cor. 15:12), e.g., the advocates of “realized eschatology,” the Bible unequivocally teaches this doctrine.
   
   Paul argues that Christ “is the firstfruits of them that are asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). This is a clear affirmation that Christ’s bodily resurrection is Heaven’s pledge that we shall be raised similarly – the firstfruits being the initial harvest (cf. Ex. 23:16), and the guarantee of that which is to follow. As the Lord awoke from the dead, so shall we.

“Sleep” is an intriguing study – both from the literal and figurative perspectives. May we be enriched by an investigation of this theme.

GOD BLESS TO ALL,

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”  

This is now the third time “heart” has been mentioned in this chapter. Head faith is not a saving faith, but a heart belief is, (Rom. 10:9-10), for it is a trust in the Lord; i.e., a dependence upon Him to save. “He guards against his recommendation of ‘good understanding’ in verse 4 being perverted into a ground for self-reliance,” [Faussett]. This is to be a total trust “with all thine heart.” Divided hearts are faulty in their faith toward God, (Hosea 10:2). Hence, David prayed for his heart to be united to fear the Lord, (Ps. 86:11-12). This, however, does not apply solely to salvation, for many heresies have been brought in because men tried to reason out doctrinal truth—leaning unto their own wisdom—instead of simply believing God’s Word in all that is says.

Proverbs 3:6

 “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” “‘Acknowledge Him’ by referring all thy ways to His will, trusting in His power, wisdom, providence, goodness, righteousness, and feeling that without Him you can do nothing,” [Faussett]. Most of our failures are due to pride, for we think that our own wisdom, strength and piety are sufficient, and so we do not acknowledge Him as necessary in all things. We need the knowledge that Jeremiah had, (Jer. 9:23-24; 10:23.) We need God’s direction in everything, for this alone is a safe path to tread.

My overview,

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones."

I love these verses because they not only promise me lots of good things like direction, health and strength, but He is teaching me to not depend on what I think. I don't need to know it all or be in control of everything! He knows what's best for me. What's best for me according to the Lord, is to TRUST and REST in Him. Jesus is our rest.
John 3:16 tells us that "God so loved the world that He gave His Only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
When we put our faith and trust in God through faith in Jesus Christ we can have eternal life! Jesus is the One who took the punishment for all our sins on the Cross 2000 years ago, and was raised from the dead. When we put our faith and trust in what Jesus did for us and receive Him as our Lord and Savior, the Bible says, we are "born-again". We become a new person and all our sins are forgiven and we can now come into the presence of God without the sense of guilt and shame. We are now able to fellowship with the Lord daily!

God Bless to all

BIBLE TRIVIA,, Fast Facts on the Bible

 BIBLE TRIVIA,, Fast Facts on the Bible

 The Bible Is Our Standard

1. How many books are in the Bible?
The Bible contains 66 books, divided among the Old and New Testaments.

2. How many books are in the Old Testament?
There are 39 books in the Old Testament.

3. How many books are in the New Testament?
There are 27 books in the New Testament.

4. What does "testament" mean?
Testament means "covenant" or "contract."

5. Who wrote the Bible?
The Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by over 40 different authors from all walks of life: shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers and kings. Despite these differences in occupation and the span of years it took to write it, the Bible is an extremely cohesive and unified book.

6. Which single author contributed the most books to the Old Testament?
Moses. He wrote the first five books of the Bible, referred to as the Pentateuch; the foundation of the Bible.

7. Which single author contributed the most books to the New Testament?
The Apostle Paul, who wrote 14 books (over half) of the New Testament.

8. When was the Bible written?
It was written over a period of some 1,500 years, from around 1450 B.C. (the time of Moses) to about 100 A.D. (following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ).

9. What is the oldest book in the Old Testament?
Many scholars agree that Job is the oldest book in the Bible, written by an unknown Israelite about 1500 B.C. Others hold that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are the oldest books in the Bible, written between 1446 and 1406 B.C.

10. What is the youngest book in the Old Testament?
The book of Malachi, written about 400 B.C.

11. What is the oldest book of the New Testament?
Probably the book of James, written as early as A.D. 45.

12. What is the youngest book in the New Testament?
The Book of Revelation is the youngest book of the New Testament, written about 95 A.D.

13. What languages was the Bible written in?
The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek.

14. When was the Bible canonized?
The entire New Testament as we know it today, was canonized before the year 375 A.D. The Old Testament had previously been canonized long before the advent of Christ.

15. What does "canon" mean?
"Canon" is derived front the Greek word "Kanon," signifying a measuring rod. Thus, to have the Bible "canonized" meant that it had been measured by the standard or test of divine inspiration and authority. It became the collection of books or writings accepted by the apostles and leadership of the early Christian church as a basis for Christian belief. It is the standard by which all Christians throughout the ages live and worship.

16. When was the first translation of the Bible made into English?
1382 A.D., by John Wycliffe.

17. When was the Bible printed?
The Bible was printed in 1454 A.D. by Johannes Gutenberg who invented the "type mold" for the printing press. It was the first book ever printed.

18. What is the oldest almost-complete manuscript of the Bible now in existence?
The Codex Vaticanus, which dates from the first half of the fourth Century. It is located in the library of the Vatican in Rome. There are older fragments of the Bible that are still preserved however-- the oldest being a tiny scrap of the Gospel of John was found in Egypt, dating back to the beginning of the second century. (It is currently in the Rayland's Library in Manchester, England).

19. What is the longest book in the Bible?
The book of Psalms.

20. What is the shortest book in the Bible?
2 John.

21. What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 119

22. What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 117

23. What is the longest verse in the Bible?
Esther 8:9

24. What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
John 11:35

25. Which book in the Bible does not mention the word "God?"
The book of Esther.

26. Who was the oldest man that ever lived?
Methuselah who lived to be 969 years old (Genesis 5:27).

27. Who were the two men in the Bible who never died but were caught up to heaven?
Enoch, who walked with God and was no more (Genesis 5:22-24). Elijah, who was caught up by a whirlwind into heaven (II Kings 2:11).

28. Who does the Bible say was the meekest man in the Bible (not including Jesus)?
Moses (Numbers 12:3).

29. How many languages has the Bible been translated into?
The Holy Bible has been translated into 2,018 languages, with countless more partial translations, and audio translations (for unwritten languages). (This is an enormous amount of translations. In comparison, Shakespeare, considered by many to be the master writer of the English language, has only been translated into 50 languages.)

30. Is the Bible still the best-selling book in the world?
Yes, indeed!

 

References:

American Bible Society, 1865 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1927, 1965).
Maxwell, Arthur. Your Bible And You (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1959).
Mickelson, A. Berkley and Alvera. Understanding Scripture (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1982, 1992).
Unger, Merrill F. TH.D., PH.D. Unger's Bible Handbook (Chicago: Moody Press, 1967)

GODBLESS TO ALL ,,

Characteristic of love

 The Rose Within

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.

He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom... it died.

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.

We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them. 

This is one of the characteristic of love... to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life... all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help others to realize they can overcome their faults. If we show them the "rose" within themselves, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over.

Biblical views,

 Paul's the Apostle text is a graphic presentation of the characteristics of biblical love. He began by showing the utter futility of the absence of love. Regardless of the extent of the accomplishment or sacrifice, without love it is a wasted effort. When love is present, there is longsuffering, kindness, rejoicing in the truth, bearing all things, believing, hoping, and enduring all things will been seen. To the converse, there is no envy, egotism, improper conduct, selfishness, irritability, and thinking of evil

GOD BLESS US ALL,,

power of the tongue

Harsh Words

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way saying good-bye.
But at home a difference is told,
how we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
As I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
But the children you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
and you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
and now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said. "
Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway."
I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Matthew 15:18

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

Proverbs 12:18

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

GOD BLESS TO ALL,,

 

Footprints in the sand

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."

The LORD replied:

"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

Content

This popular text describes a dream, in which the person is walking on a beach with God. They leave two sets of footprints in the sand behind them. Looking back, the tracks are stated to represent various stages of this person's life. At some points the two trails dwindle to one, especially at the lowest and most hopeless moments of the character's life. When questioning God, believing that God must have abandoned his follower during those times, God gives the explanation: "During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

GODBLESS US ALL