Speaker 1: Welcome to Abides Sleep Meditations. I'm Tyler Boss. Today's meditation
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Speaker 3: and body as we hear tonight's sleep story.
Speaker 2: Hello and welcome to this sleep story from Abide. I'm Jennifer.
Speaker 2: Thank you for joining me for our story titled Your
Speaker 2: God Given Assurance. The Dictionary defines assurance as a positive
Speaker 2: declaration intended to provide confidence. Biblically speaking, our assurance comes
Speaker 2: from the truth that Christ lives in us. Colossians, Chapter one,
Speaker 2: verse twenty seven says, for God wanted them to know
Speaker 2: that the riches and glory of Christ are for you,
Speaker 2: gentiles too, And this is the secret Christ lives in you.
Speaker 2: This gives you assurance of sharing His glory. When Paul
Speaker 2: wrote these words to the believers in Colossie. He wanted
Speaker 2: to build their confidence that they too belonged to Christ.
Speaker 2: By grace through faith, they were included in the riches
Speaker 2: of God's glory through Jesus his Son. Let this sleep
Speaker 2: story and richer faith. As you hear powerful words of
Speaker 2: scripture assuring you of your inclusion in God's beloved family.
Speaker 2: Be encouraged by the knowledge that God has imparted to
Speaker 2: you something that was once a mystery but is now
Speaker 2: revealed through Christ. Jesus, I invite you to rest in
Speaker 2: the Lord and his Holy presence, letting go of all worry,
Speaker 2: stress and anxiety. Let this sleep meditation lull you into
Speaker 2: a peaceful time of relaxation and refreshment. Know that the
Speaker 2: Holy Spirit is guiding this story from an abundance of
Speaker 2: his love of joy, peace and gentleness. Through his comfort
Speaker 2: and his counsel, he will lead you into deep, restorative sleep.
Speaker 2: As you hear from Colossians Chapter one, I'm grateful you've
Speaker 2: chosen this story, and I'm confident you'll be blessed by
Speaker 2: what is shared. Thanks again for listening. Throughout life, God
Speaker 2: sends different people to assure us everything's going to be
Speaker 2: all right. Family members gather around us, offering support. Friends
Speaker 2: lend a hand or a listening near and trusted pastors
Speaker 2: share comforting truths from God's word. The apostle Paul was
Speaker 2: gifted with the ability to encourage others. When he wrote
Speaker 2: to the believers in Colossie, he assured them of their
Speaker 2: heavenly inheritance through Christ Jesus. In Colossians Chapter one, verse
Speaker 2: twenty seven, he said, for God wanted them to know
Speaker 2: that the riches and glory of Christ are for you,
Speaker 2: gentiles too, And this is the secret Christ lives in you.
Speaker 2: This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. My friend,
Speaker 2: It's no secret that Jesus is the savior of the world,
Speaker 2: and all who believe in Him for salvation share in
Speaker 2: his glory. As you fall asleep, let your God give
Speaker 2: an assurance and fold you like a security blanket of
Speaker 2: peace and contentment. There is nothing to worry about. Your
Speaker 2: assurance is in Christ alone. Christian singer and producer Michael
Speaker 2: English shares these lyrics. In Christ alone, I place my
Speaker 2: trust and find my glory in the power of the Cross.
Speaker 2: In every victory, let it be said of me, my
Speaker 2: source of strength, my source of hope is Christ.
Speaker 1: Alone.
Speaker 2: Let his words Christ alone, center your heart on the
Speaker 2: finished work of Jesus. He is your source of strength
Speaker 2: and hope. Sleep comes easily when you rest fully in
Speaker 2: the one true source of peace. In Christ alone, you
Speaker 2: live and move and breathe. He is your light, your joy,
Speaker 2: your song through every valley and mountaintop experience. Jesus is
Speaker 2: the only one who remains with you every second. Let
Speaker 2: that thought settle over you for a moment. Every step
Speaker 2: you take, he takes with you. Nothing is beyond him.
Speaker 2: He sees, he knows, he hears. Thank you, Lord for
Speaker 2: being aware of all that is happening. There is comfort
Speaker 2: in knowing you are God and you are sovereign. Please
Speaker 2: draw this listener close, assuring them of your love, mercy,
Speaker 2: and grace that flows continually around them like a comforting
Speaker 2: blanket of peace. In Jesus' holy name, Amen, continue resting
Speaker 2: in the guidance of the Holy Spirit as he fills
Speaker 2: your dreams with pleasant images of God's creation. In nature,
Speaker 2: there's a bird called a honeyguide. These birds, also known
Speaker 2: as indicator birds, guide other animals and sometimes humans, to
Speaker 2: sources of wild honey. According to the Natural History Museum
Speaker 2: in London, the wild, honeyguides recruit people with a demanding
Speaker 2: call indicating that they have found a be nest. The
Speaker 2: honey hunting humans reply with calls passed down through generations
Speaker 2: and follow the bird. Mostly found in sub Saharan Africa,
Speaker 2: honeyguides are one of the few birds that work together
Speaker 2: with people through something science calls mutualistic interaction, which is
Speaker 2: simply the interaction between two species for mutual benefit. How
Speaker 2: wonderful that God designed honeyguides specifically for this purpose, displaying
Speaker 2: his limitless creativity and thoughtfulness. In vision, following a honey
Speaker 2: guide as it flies through the African woodland, it lands
Speaker 2: on a branch, waiting until you catch up before flying
Speaker 2: to another. This follow the leader game continues as you
Speaker 2: follow the honey guide to the specific tree where honey
Speaker 2: is found. He perches on a branch, giving his distinct call,
Speaker 2: indicating to you there is a hive within the tree.
Speaker 2: You decide to stay at a distance, observing the honey
Speaker 2: guide with his signature brown feathers and pink bill, and
Speaker 2: from the safety of a peaceful, shaded area, you watch
Speaker 2: and wait. Eventually, the honeyguyde loses interest and flies away,
Speaker 2: singing his familiar song. He is off to find other
Speaker 2: sources of honey and someone to help him harvest it.
Speaker 2: You walk for a while, enjoying the warmth of the
Speaker 2: setting sun, and when you grow tired, you find a
Speaker 2: shady place to rest under an acacia tree. Leaning your
Speaker 2: head back, you close your eyes and take in a
Speaker 2: deep breath. The air is fresh around you. Inhaling and eggshaling.
Speaker 2: You drift off to sleep, surrounded by the sounds of nature,
Speaker 2: the distant buzz of bees, the careless rustle of leaves,
Speaker 2: the occasional chirp of a cricket in the brush. You
Speaker 2: remember that spending time in nature is a peaceful way
Speaker 2: to eliminate stress and reconnect with your creator. Even turning
Speaker 2: off your phone for a few moments can restore a
Speaker 2: sense of peace and calm, soothing the tension and recalibrating
Speaker 2: your focus on Jesus. Take time to rest, listen, and
Speaker 2: simply be. God is with you and loves you dearly.
Speaker 2: You are in the palm of his hand, and he
Speaker 2: watches over you like a loving father who keeps you
Speaker 2: in his sight every moment. First John three, verse one says,
Speaker 2: see what kind of love the Father has? Given to
Speaker 2: us that we should be called children of God, and
Speaker 2: so we are. Third John chapter one, verse four says
Speaker 2: I have no greater joy than to hear that my
Speaker 2: children are walking in the truth as a beloved child
Speaker 2: of God. Rest in the assurance that He loves you
Speaker 2: unconditionally and rejoices in you. You are his precious creation,
Speaker 2: made in his likeness to bring him glory. Walk in
Speaker 2: God's truth, not only believing it, but receiving it day
Speaker 2: after day. Spend time reading and listening to the scriptures
Speaker 2: the wonderful words of life. In the song I Belong
Speaker 2: to Jesus, the lyrics provide a peaceful word picture, saying
Speaker 2: You're my shepherd. You are my keeper, my provider, my protector.
Speaker 2: You surround me. You are in every step I take.
Speaker 2: I believe you're the goodness. You're the constant. You are
Speaker 2: my first love and my future. You surround me. You
Speaker 2: are in every step I take. Rest in your good shepherd,
Speaker 2: your keeper and provider. He is the overseer of your soul.
Speaker 2: He surrounds you with goodness. Every step you take is
Speaker 2: guarded in his love and safety. You belong to Jesus,
Speaker 2: my friend, and you are kept safe and sound in
Speaker 2: his presence. Rest well. I pray for you one more time,
Speaker 2: Holy God, Thank you for the constant reminders that we
Speaker 2: belong to you through Jesus, your son. He made the
Speaker 2: way for us to commune with you every single day,
Speaker 2: and I pray that this precious listener will take the
Speaker 2: time to simply rest in your presence and receive the
Speaker 2: peace and goodness you so lavishly give. Please continue assuring
Speaker 2: them of who they are your child, fully loved, accepted, included,
Speaker 2: and welcomed into your holy family in Jesus' beautiful name. Amen,
Speaker 2: Thank you again for choosing this sleep story. I pray
Speaker 2: you were deeply blessed by Paul's assurance that you are
Speaker 2: included in Christ Jesus and blessed by the riches of
Speaker 2: His glory. In the days ahead, I encourage you to
Speaker 2: find time to relax in nature, enjoying the beauty God created,
Speaker 2: and the next time you watch a beautiful sunset, be
Speaker 2: reminded of God's marvelous handiwork displayed throughout heaven and Earth.
Speaker 2: I'm so grateful you tuned in to this peaceful meditation,
Speaker 2: and I hope you gained valuable insight as you listened,
Speaker 2: be blessed my friend, and as always, continue to abide
Speaker 2: in Christ.