When I lie down I think, ‘How long before I get up?’ The night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn. – Job 7:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 23, 2015): Job 7

Sometimes it seems as if the list of enemies to our sleep grows steadily. We have always known some of the enemies, we have been told about some of the common agitators – caffeine, nicotine, alcohol (although that last one is disputed by some). We know that light can cause serious problems with our sleep cycle, and that fact can be a real problem during the summer months for those that live in the north. And right now, the days are steadily getting longer and longer – I am not sure what you do in the summer if you live in the far North, in the land that will soon experience the midnight sun. But there is evidence that it is not just the natural sunlight that is a problem. Most of us have learned to dim the lights as our bed time approaches. But a new enemy to our sleep might be lurking in our computers and tablets. I love to use my tablet to read as I am beginning to prepare myself for sleep, but apparently the blue light that comes from my electronics is just one more thing that is going to threaten to keep me awake. As if I needed something else that will threaten to keep me awake.

But one of the constant enemies of sleep is pain. And Job has suffered enough pain to go around. Not only is he physically in pain, but he is suffering with painful memories – as the night gets quiet the memories increase of everything that he has lost. And all of this produces sleepless nights, and is made worse by it.

Sometimes we wonder why the Bible would include these kind of details, but the truth is that it is in these descriptions that we begin to see ourselves. We have known these nights. We have suffered without sleep and have been plagued by our own memories of what we have lost. And, in these moments, we can identify with Job and all that he is suffering through.

And that is as it should be. Job is not one of kind, he is not unusual. He stands in for all of us and all that we suffer through was we live this life. His explanations for pain are our explanations. His model is our model. Our hope, as we experience our own sleepless nights, is that we can weather them as well as Job did. And with the faith of Job. We need to know, even in the middle of our sleepless nights, that God is still in control. And because of that, we can be certain that our dark nights will end and that morning will come.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Job 8