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Speaker 1: Welcome to Abides Sleep Meditations. I'm Tyler Boss. Today's meditation

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Speaker 1: is brought to you by our partners at Life Audio.

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Speaker 1: If you go to lifeaudio dot com you will find

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Speaker 1: dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've

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Speaker 1: got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more. Head

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Speaker 1: over to lifeaudio dot com.

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Speaker 2: Now.

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Speaker 1: Remember you can.

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Speaker 3: Have full access to all our sleep stories commercial free.

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Speaker 3: Just text Abide to two two four three three for

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Speaker 3: twenty five percent off the app. Now relax your mind

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Speaker 3: and body as we hear tonight's sleep story.

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Speaker 2: Hello and welcome to this sleep story from Abide. I'm Evett.

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Speaker 2: Thanks for joining me for our story. I ponder your.

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Speaker 4: Works, dearly beloved listener, as you settle into your comfortable

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Speaker 4: bed and let your mind drift to a place of

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Speaker 4: peace and tranquility.

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Speaker 2: I invite you to journey with me through a serene

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Speaker 2: meditation inspired by Psalm one hundred and forty three, Verse five.

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Speaker 2: I remember the days of old. I meditate on all

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Speaker 2: that you have done. I ponder the work of your hands.

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Speaker 2: Let's ponder the works of his hands, the majesty of

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Speaker 2: his creation and the splendor of his redemptive work. In

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Speaker 2: our lives, from the vastness of a sandy shoreline to

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Speaker 2: a wide expanse of ocean that stretches as far as

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Speaker 2: the eye can see. God works are worthy to be

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Speaker 2: meditated upon. It would be a life well spent to

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Speaker 2: ponder the works of His hands. As we journey together,

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Speaker 2: let's focus on the Lord and his power and goodness

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Speaker 2: and love. All you need to do is rest and

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Speaker 2: relax and listen to my voice as I guide you

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Speaker 2: through this time. I will paint mental images for you,

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Speaker 2: and you can let the scenes drift within your mind,

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Speaker 2: allow the truth of His greatness and love to seep

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Speaker 2: into your heart, soul, and spirit. You will hear the

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Speaker 2: Lord's soft voice gently whispering to your heart through the

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Speaker 2: images and visions of this story. So be encouraged that

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Speaker 2: He is speaking to you as you open yourself to listen.

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Speaker 2: Dear listener, allow me to start by setting the scene

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Speaker 2: of today's story. You might want to snuggle further into

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Speaker 2: your bed or make any other adjustments before we start.

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Speaker 2: Take another deep breath, allow your body to relax, close

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Speaker 2: your eyes and simply feel the gentle rhythm of your

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Speaker 2: belly going up and down with each breath, like the

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Speaker 2: ebb and flow of the waves. I will bring back

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Speaker 2: to mind the verse from Psalm one hundred and forty three.

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Speaker 1: Verse five.

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Speaker 2: I remember the days of old. I meditate on all

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Speaker 2: that you have done. I ponder the work of your hands. Now,

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Speaker 2: imagine yourself standing on the shore of a vast sea.

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Speaker 2: The gentle waves kiss the sandy beach under the soft

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Speaker 2: light of the moon. This sea is a gateway to

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Speaker 2: the past, a place where memories and stories from long

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Speaker 2: ago float gently in the water. You feel a deep

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Speaker 2: sense of connection to those who came before you. You

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Speaker 2: remember the days of old, the wisdom passed down through generations,

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Speaker 2: and the simple joys of life. Visualized scenes of ancient

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Speaker 2: times where people lived in harmony with nature, where life

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Speaker 2: was simpler and slower. Imagine Adam and Eve before the fall,

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Speaker 2: walking hand in hand with God in the cool of

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Speaker 2: the day, like the very best of friends. See the

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Speaker 2: smiles of children as they play under the warm sun.

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Speaker 2: Hear the laughter of families gathered around a fire to

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Speaker 2: share stories of God's faithfulness, and the peaceful rhythm of

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Speaker 2: days gone by. Feel the comfort of these memories enveloping

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Speaker 2: you like a warm blanket. Bringing a sense of grounding

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Speaker 2: and belonging. They give you a sense that you are

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Speaker 2: living out the plan your heavenly father laid out for

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Speaker 2: his children. These moments from the past are part of

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Speaker 2: your story, and they remind you of the continuity of life,

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Speaker 2: of the turning of God's earth on its axis, of

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Speaker 2: the cycle of days per night. This is the peaceful

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Speaker 2: rhythm that God designed at the beginning of creation when

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Speaker 2: he made time itself. The sun and moon have been

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Speaker 2: orbiting every day for millennia at God's command. You may

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Speaker 2: recall the ancient times when God was faithful to his servants.

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Speaker 2: God never forgot Joseph when he had been falsely accused

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Speaker 2: and wrongly imprisoned. God didn't deliver him instantly, but God

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Speaker 2: did eventually open the prison door to release him and

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Speaker 2: raise him up, so he became one of the greatest

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Speaker 2: leaders of the known world at the time. If you've

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Speaker 2: ever wondered why God delays in delivering you, you are

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Speaker 2: in good company. But I know that years after Joseph's

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Speaker 2: release and radical favor shown to him, Joseph would have

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Speaker 2: prayerfully echoed the words of this psalm. I remember the

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Speaker 2: days of old, I meditate on all that you have done.

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Speaker 2: I ponder the work of your hands. When we ponder

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Speaker 2: the word of God in the Old Testament, we can

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Speaker 2: read that God was consistently faithful to his children. Now

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Speaker 2: I invite you to let your mind gently shift from

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Speaker 2: the days of old to more recent times, to all

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Speaker 2: that has been done in your very own life and

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Speaker 2: in the lives of those around you. Imagine a lush,

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Speaker 2: green forest where every tree and leaf and bud tells

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Speaker 2: a story of growth and change. You wander slowly, gracefully

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Speaker 2: through this forest, feeling the soft earth beneath your feet,

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Speaker 2: hearing the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. Perhaps

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Speaker 2: you want to pause by a clear, sparkling stream and

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Speaker 2: see your reflection in the water. As you gaze into

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Speaker 2: the stream, think of the many things that Jesus, by

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Speaker 2: his love and grace, has accomplished in your life, both

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Speaker 2: big and small. Reflect on the moments of triumph that

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Speaker 2: God has brought through your trials, under the many lessons

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Speaker 2: His Holy Spirit has helped you learn from the challenges.

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Speaker 2: Let everything God has helped you with and brought you

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Speaker 2: through play through your mind. Each achievement, no matter how small,

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Speaker 2: is a testament to the strength and resilience of God's

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Speaker 2: power and presence within you, and your ability to yield

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Speaker 2: to His leading. Feel gratitude for the journey that God

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Speaker 2: has taken you on, for the experiences that have shaped you,

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Speaker 2: and for the friends and family that God has brought

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Speaker 2: to walk alongside you. Meditate on the beauty of creation,

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Speaker 2: the intricate designs of nature, and the miracles that surround

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Speaker 2: you every day. These thoughts bring a sense of awe

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Speaker 2: and wonder, filling your heart with peace and reverence for God.

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Speaker 2: Continue your journey through the forest until you reach a

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Speaker 2: tranquil meadow bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun.

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Speaker 2: The work of the Creation is on full display, a

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Speaker 2: masterpiece of vibrant colors and luminous lights. Lie down in

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Speaker 2: the soft grass, Gaze up at the sky where the

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Speaker 2: first stars i emerging from the darkening blanket of sky

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Speaker 2: and beginning to twinkle. Ponder the work of his hands,

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Speaker 2: the infinite beauty of the universe, and the delicate balance

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Speaker 2: of life that he set into motion. Each brilliant star

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Speaker 2: in the sky, each blossoming flower in the meadow, is

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Speaker 2: a reminder of the divine craftsmanship that has shaped the world.

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Speaker 2: Feel a deep sense of peace as you contemplate the

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Speaker 2: extravagant love and care that went into creating everything around you.

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Speaker 2: Imagine the gentle touch of God's hands guiding and nurturing

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Speaker 2: all of creation, delicately placing each petal on each rose,

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Speaker 2: meticulously choosing from his painter's palette the shades of orange

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Speaker 2: and purple and blue that most beautifully smudge the horizon

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Speaker 2: at sunset and sunrise. This same tender and loving care

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Speaker 2: is extended to you, providing detailed hands on comfort and

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Speaker 2: support in every moment. Trust in the Holy Spirit's divine press,

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Speaker 2: knowing that you are always held in a space of

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Speaker 2: infinite love and protection. Let me pray for you one

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Speaker 2: last time. Dear Loving Jesus, We come to you and

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Speaker 2: thank you yet again for this peaceful and serene time together,

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Speaker 2: for the moments of deep rest and of the greater

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Speaker 2: realizations about your goodness. We surrender all our cares and

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Speaker 2: fears to you again. We have seen your faithfulness in

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Speaker 2: the past, and we can be confident in your sovereignty

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Speaker 2: and faithfulness in the future future. May this racious one

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Speaker 2: rest in that knowledge. In your Holy name, Amen, racious listener,

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Speaker 2: thank you for choosing to come on this journey with me.

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Speaker 2: May you endlessly ponder the works of the Lord. May

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Speaker 2: your heart continually lift up praises to Him. Mirroring the

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Speaker 2: words of today's passage from Psalm one hundred and forty three,

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Speaker 2: verse five, I remember the days of old. I meditate

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Speaker 2: on all that you have done. I ponder the work

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Speaker 2: of your hands until next time when we meditate together.

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Speaker 2: May God bless you and keep you, and make his

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Speaker 2: luminous face smile upon you and bring you peace.